


Of Decadence and Pride

by InkHallucination



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence - Pre-Thor (2011), Drama & Romance, Odin's A+ Parenting, Pseudo-Incest, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Thorki - Freeform, Warning: Loki, a lot of drama, and the GM shows up in Asgard, basically the betrayal shit from Thor 1 doesnt happen, frostmaster, future smut, i listened to phantom of the opera while planning this, level of drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-02-08 04:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12856314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkHallucination/pseuds/InkHallucination
Summary: Under Odin’s care and rule, and overall as a prince of Asgard Loki had a particular set of rules, a book of sorts, of things he could and could not do.Don’t fall in love with your brother, don't even acknowledge the fool is completely gone for you.Don’t mess around with beings beyond your comprehension. Even if the grandmaster’s words are sweet as honey and his touch warm and enticing.Don’t get involved in the war that’s looming over half the universe. Even if it’s refugees come knocking at your door and your curiosity is overpowering your logic.Three, just three rules he had imposed on himself. And somehow he manages to break each and everyone of them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm finally publishing this!
> 
> A special thanks to Squeezebabe who somehow managed to turn my rough script into this beauty. Squeeze if you are reading this you're in my heart.
> 
> Without further talk, here it is!

Thor’s worst nightmare began on a seemingly normal morning.

“I swear, you stupid oaf, if you ever do something as reckless as that again, I’ll hex you into a hog!”

Well, as normal as it could be. This was a peaceful as it ever got, in all honesty.

“A ‘thank you’, dear brother, would have been enough.” He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling with affection. Loki, trying to keep up his front of annoyance, huffed before rolling his eyes. Thor was aware that inside that mind of his, Loki was more concerned and angry at his recklessness than he was at Thor himself.

“You can’t just jump into a dragon’s lair and expect me to be fine with it.” Loki glared at him, eyes trailing down to the bag he had handed him right before his scolding started, the hard lines of annoyance in his face softening. “But,” he sighed, “thank you, for the dragon scales.”

“You’re welcome, brother,” he replied, sliding an arm around his shoulders in satisfaction, silently appreciating the smile Loki tried to hide by looking to the floor, a fluttering of eyelashes atop soft green eyes and rosy lips that slightly curved. That alone made almost getting fried by an overgrown lizard worth it.

Loki had been trying for weeks to find this particular ingredient for a spell. He could have stolen some dragon scales from their mother’s room at any time, but it was such a rare ingredient, that going missing would have been noticed. Thor was observant enough to know Loki didn’t want to alert their parents to certain conjurings he had decided to delve into—dangerous ones; ones that were increasingly interesting to his mind.

“Mother and Father will certainly not be as forgiving as I am, though, so you might want to start planning on a story to tell them as to why you smell like a burnt stable.”

“I don’t tell them about the dragon scales, you don’t tell them about the dragon. A satisfactory deal in my eyes, it seems.”

“Yes, perhaps…”

He stopped dead in his tracks when Loki’s sentence broke off at the middle. Thor looked over, glancing at him strangely before following his eyes towards the sky.

A ship. There was a strange ship in the sky. Not Asgardian. Red and gold, and small. Only able to transport a small crew. Thor was just starting to assess it when the skies parted, and right behind the small ship, a lot more appeared. These ones, he realized, were battleships.

From the castle, the loud noise of horns coursed through Asgard.

“They’re calling us in” Loki noted, his brow furrowed as he glanced back and forth. Thor wasn’t particularly fond of following said indication personally; extending a hand, he called Mjolnir.

Loki glared at him with renewed stress.

“No, we’re not doing this, Thor”

“Stay back if you’d rather prefer it brother, but I shall not sit still while we’re invaded.”

The ships stood still but Thor knew better than to think of that as a reassurance, in the distance the horn blew loudly for the second time.

“And I will not sit idly while you act impulsively and recklessly” He pushed, obscuring his view of the ships by walking in front of him just as Mjolnir came to rest into his hand. “Look at them, they’re just standing still. We have no reason to go up there and fight whomever is on those ships, we could be starting a war for all we know.”

He bit his lip. On one hand, Thor could see the logic behind Loki’s words. It was foolish to go unaccompanied to fight a whole fleet, he knew nothing of their resources or origin. He certainly knew those didn’t look like the ships belonging to  any of the nine realms in Yggdrasil. It wasn’t a proof of treachery, but it was worrying to say the least. Suspicious.

Then again, Loki had always been the best of the two of them when it came to diplomacy, and despite the fear in his eyes, Thor knew he was not considering letting it go.

“What do you propose?” He gave in, letting his hammer down, his brother’s shoulders visibly relaxing.

“Let’s head back to the palace. The All-father will surely know more about these outside visitors when we arrive. If he sees it fit for an attack we can join in on it”

He glanced one more time at the sky, trying to discern yet again if the ships were in any mood to attack them, but all he saw was their still figures against the otherwise clear space. Somehow, Thor felt a strange rumble in his chest, a premonition perhaps, that something he should stop approached from within the insides of it.

“Very well” he nodded, “Let’s just hurry up there before it’s too late.”

As they made their way back home, Loki continued to frown at the ship above them, a sign, Thor thought, that he might have a feeling similar to his own. Then again, Thor found himself glancing back to his brother more than he ever should these days.

* * *

 

By the time they were back to the palace, chaos had already settled within.

Thor dodged a knight rushing past him, exchanging a glance with Loki before rushing up to the throne room. As expected, Odin had already gotten wind of it, discussing loudly with a couple of generals, his face red and furious.

“…reason does he have to be here?” He heard his father exclaim displeased.

“Now, dear, I’m sure an agreement can be achieved” Frigga intervened “Even in, well, circumstances like this.”

Even while focusing of looking at ease Thor could notice she didn’t look as composed as she usually did, her jaw set in a way that let him know she was uncomfortable. Loki had picked up that gesture from her.

“Father!” He called for their attention.

Odin turned to him, his one eye straying pensively for a second.

“Give the orders to prepare the ship,” he dismissed the generals. “This is not a subject for you to deal with Thor”  his eye barely noticing him before he walked past them.

He snapped his jaw shut. Both him and Loki knew it was almost impossible to reason with their father when he was in that mood, but he also knew himself to be just as stubborn. He turned to Loki for reassurance, his answering nod a good enough prompt to go ahead.

“If the security of Asgard is at risk, it is my duty to protect it,” he replied, following behind him.

“If Asgard requires safety, it is not the kind you may provide at the moment.” Odin said, not even glancing back at him.

His mother put a reassuring hand on his arm.

“We’re not a risk of war dear, not at the moment at least...” she pursed her lips.

“Then what is the nature of this visit, mother?” Loki intervened.

“That, we still don’t know. Your father and a group of his counselors are taking measures to communicate with the visitors.”

Visitors, she said the word tentatively. Like she still wasn’t sure of whether or not it was safe to prance around the newcomers.

“A diplomacy meeting is what you speak off. To know the nature and intentions of the outsiders.” Loki nodded. “If that is the case, then I can aid, tell father to take me with him.”

Frigga seemed to consider it, if only for a moment, before shaking her head.

“No Loki, the person your father is dealing at the moment... it wouldn’t be wise for any of you to meet him, if it can be helped, he would not get even close to any of the nine realms. Nevertheless, he has come here, and it is in our best interest that he doesn’t stay any longer than is needed.”

“But mother…”

“But nothing Loki” she fixed him with a glare. “Your father will make sure this is dealt with, and by this time tomorrow it would be as if they never stepped foot in here at all.” Her eyes softened with something akin to regret “You know I would intervene if it was possible, but this is a matter he should deal with alone.”

Thor opened his mouth to say another thing, but she had already turned her back on them, following after Odin in quick steps, only the two of them standing in a lone corridor as soldiers passed them.

“Well that could have gone worse.” Loki sighed. “There’s something they’re not telling us, you realize it, don’t you?”

Thor couldn’t help the small pang of pleasure he felt at those words. Thor was a lot of things, but a strategist he was not, not at least to the extent his brother was. When the day of his crowning arrived, he would be lucky to have him as a counselor. Even if his mind more often than not ended up picturing him in another position.

It was not wise of him to dwell on those thoughts for long.

“If it were you, they would have let you lead the way to an attack,” Loki said curtly.

“No,” Thor shook his head “I got a feeling even if it were me, this person that father is meeting with is not someone they want us close to.”

His brother hummed. He and Thor had spent a large amount of time together; centuries as children. Even now, if not as close as they were in those days. Thor knew the little gestures, the ins and outs of Loki’s subtle expressions when he wasn’t bothered to hide them. from all of this he knew that his brother was thinking about doing something reckless.

“You want to follow father don’t you?” he voiced out loud.

“It’s not like you wouldn’t, if you had my means.”

Thor found himself smiling.

“Who is the reckless one now, brother?”

“When it’s at my convenience, and in my interests,” Loki conceded, the slight green tint of his seidr a brief flash around him before he looked just like any regular soldier “I should hurry up if I want to catch father on time.”

“Yes you should,” Thor said, his voice more reluctant than he had any right to.

They shared a moment of silence before he parted.

It wasn’t until his back was turned that Thor’s smile fell off his face. Loki was his brother. He was his brother in all the ways it was possible. He could pass off the lingering touches, the care, the longing glances, as brotherly love, but for how long? How long until Odin or Frigga noticed, until his friends realized. Or worse, Loki.

A brother let go and encouraged, even if a little worried of the other’s messy plans. But the lover tried, argued hard and long for his loved one not to get himself in danger. Thor could not put himself in the role of the lover as much as he wanted to.

Foolish, that’s what he was, to hold those feelings.

They had no future, and if anyone found out, neither would he. He had to let them perish, that was the only answer.

And yet, somehow Thor was sure on the inside, that it wasn’t simple as that.

 

* * *

 

 

 

The Grandmaster had no reason being in Asgard, that much Odin was sure of.

It had been thousands of years now, since the last time he had to deal with, or hear of such a character, and he found that the utmost thought of facing him made his blood recoil.

There wasn't much out of the nine realms that Asgard was bothered about. Small rebellions, and bandits  they could be not bothered to care about. But there were a couple of beings, those of which his father had warned him of, and his father before him, that we're not a simple matter to defeat.

Among them, Odin was not sure if the Grandmaster being the one showing up in Asgard was a matter of luck or disaster.

A hedonistic game-addict with a penchant for raves, and carefully constructed chaos, could be easy to dispose of, or a headache he was too old to deal with.

If one thing he knew, was that he didn't want his son’s any where near him of all people. The ways in which he liked to use men like toys we're not lost over the course of years.

The ship on which they approached gave a slight jump in the air and it was not lost to his eye the way his soldiers quivered for a second before composing themselves again.

It was for good that he had not informed them of the nature of their invader at any point, beyond being a powerful man who they should keep complacent about and stay away from.

If they knew, even he would be powerless to the men’s rage, they would have surrendered in seconds.

“We should be boarding the ship soon Your Majesty,” the pilot informed him.  Odin nodded his acknowledgment.

“It's not my place to talk, but shouldn't we have brought a bigger army with us my Lord? This man is entering our space like it is his right to do so, and flaunts his power like he’s taunting us. We should counterattack similarly,” one of his generals spoke.

“ You would do well in speaking only when asked to, general, if it comes to it, we will make use of our fleet, but this is a diplomacy meeting not a war counsel. You would do well to remember that.”

The general fell silent instantly, retreating to his position as he muttered a few words of agreement. Somewhere in the ship, he thought he heard the barest echo of a laugh he knew quite well.

He tensed in his seat.

“We're boarding the ship now!” the pilot called. Odin sat up, his movements heavy with expectation.

The door opened and his front guard stepped away, showing no signs of danger before he advanced forward.

This would be only a’ fix-it’ encounter. The man would be gone as quickly as he had arrived. He had to.

“The Grandmaster will see you in a moment.” A woman clad in barely covering attire smiled at them from the door.  One of his soldiers scoffed at being made to wait and Odin fixed him a glare.

In his line of sight, another one ducked his head conspicuously.

The doors opened and the line of soldiers in front him started to make their way out, before it was possible for him to leave, Odin forcibly took the wrist of the soldier who seemed to keep his eyes on his feet.

“Don't pass me for a fool, Loki. You might be experienced with seidr, but even you can't fool me with a simple masking spell.”

A sharp intake of breath, and the soldier’s or rather his son's eyes turned to look at him with something akin to childish fear. The slight flash of magic revealing Loki in all of his shame.

“I suppose you’re not pleased to see me here, father.”

It was an understatement, and he was sure his son knew the kind of punishment that he was sure to face for an offense like this; It was not to be taken as a jeer. However the last of his soldiers disappeared beyond the door to the ship’s quarters and he had no time to scold his child as it was proper.

“Set behind, we will talk about this when we're back at the palace.”

For one time, he was relieved Loki obeyed him before he stepped up into what he knew was sure to be one of the harsher diplomacy meetings he’d had in centuries.

“Odin!” The Grandmaster exclaimed as soon as he entered the room. “What a surprise! I was expecting to see your old man Bor, though I suppose with you looking like that, it must have been thousands of years past,  right? Last time I saw you, you were a little kid following your father's steps. Of course, you had both eyes back then, but same old grumpy face. I will never forget it.”

The patience needed to contain his emotions was a feat he thought, larger than any war up until now.

“What is the reason for which you have come to Asgard, Grandmaster?” he asked, keeping as much anger as possible from his voice.

“Oh please Odin, we're hardly on title basis, call me En please.” He swatted a hand, smiling with that irritating gesture of uncaring insolence.

“I'm sure you're aware, that we don't take kindly to unwanted visitors.”

“Oh please,” En rolled his eyes. “Don't be so harsh on me. I hardly come on hostile grounds, the fleet ships are, merely a precaution. I’m sure you would understand.”

He exhaled loudly through his nose. Frigga should have come with him, if not to talk. Maybe her presence would be calming enough to help him to not want to tear the mans head off.

“Precaution or not, it's not seen kindly in this land,” he grit.

“Oh please,” En shrugged. “That's hardly…” his words trailed off until he stopped altogether. Silence, for once, and yet it didn't seem as if it were prompted by any of the words they had shared. His eyes fixed at some point past him, with something he wasn't sure he wanted to decipher. “And who are you? If I might ask,” he queried. Like a predator,  he set his eyes on a new interest.

Odin turned towards where the other was looking and felt just the slightest bit of dread for a second. His son Loki looked around suddenly unsure of the attention.

“Uh, I'm Lo…”

“He is Loki, my younger son,” Odin asserted over Loki’s voice, trying to embed the message he wanted to get across in the tone of his words.

He was not fixing his aim on his son.

“Oh is he?” the Grandmaster asked, a lopsided grin forming in his face. “I wouldn't have noticed the resemblance to you in such charming creature.”

Odin suddenly wished he had two eyes in which to glare with.

“Tell me precious, do you make a habit of following your daddy to work, or did you sneak your way in this time?”

“I don't see why…” Odin tried to object before the man shushed him like he would a child.

“I was asking him.”

“I... do try to make myself useful, but I might have found it more useful to tweak some cords into adding my presence to some trips,” his son answered. Voice trying to remain proper, even if, to his father, the underlying insecurities and wariness was clear as day.

“So a mischievous one is it, huh?” En drawled, smile widening and with lustful eyes.

“I request we come back to the issue at hand,” he imposed rather harshly.

The smile still didn't wipe itself off the man’s face. “Of course. As I was saying, I come asking no more than hospitality in your beautiful, what is it, Ass berg.”

“Asgard.” Odin corrected through gritted teeth. “and what do you mean by hostage?”

There were few meanings for hostage in this situation, and Odin doubted he would like any of them.

“Well, Sakaar, that's where I reside, mostly, does get quite boring at times y’know? Same old trash planet, and as much as I enjoy the fights and the people, it does get old after a while. So I thought to myself, hey! Assberg does sound like the perfect place for me to, y’know, spread my horizons, have some fun for a season, maybe even meet some rather interesting men... A vacation of sorts.”

To live here. That's what he was asking for. To live here.

“Of course my dealings with your kin have always been most cordial.” He grinned. “I wouldn’t be wrong to assume you would like to repay my kindness, right?”

Simple words, and yet Odin wasn’t a fool to assume them to be without warning. That was just what he feared in dealing with him. Allow him to stay and do as he pleased, or else suffer everything that came from falling out of his graces.

“You will understand we were not prepared to accommodate your visit,” he replied, voice controlled.

“Oh, that’s no issue at all, I’m more than ready to bring the party to Asgard if it is deemed necessary.”

There was no answer other than let him stay, the Grandmaster was making sure of it.

“Very well. I assume then we can see to accommodate you, for the time being.”

As short a period of time as possible, if he could help it.

“Perfect!” En jumped childishly. “I can’t wait to met your whole court; if all of them are like your charming son, I’m sure I will be very, very pleased,” words embedded with double meaning.

Odin just knew nothing good would come of this visit.

 

* * *

 

 

“You’re making no sense, Loki.”

Draped over one of his plush couches, and blinking like he was trying to decipher the ceiling, his brother looked like the definition of flabbergasted.

“I’m saying that father most explicitly said something about not daring to, and I quote ‘get involved beyond what is  strictly necessary with that man or any of his kind.’”

“And was that was before, or after, he decided to make you clean the whole poetry section of the library as punishment.”

“After.”

The couch made a deflating noise as he threw himself beside Loki, choosing to ignore the way his face was dangerously close to his brother’s.

“And this, chiefmaster…”

“Grandmaster, though I did catch on his real name being En at least,” his brother corrected him.

“Right. You said he was not Aesir, but he was old enough to have met father when our grandfather was still king.”

“He looked even slightly younger than Odin.”

“You sure he wasn’t Vanir? Elf? The tales say their lives can sometimes rival our own.”

“No” Loki shook his head. “Neither of those.”

“And what about you, brother? Did you feel any ill intentions?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say ill per se,” he drawled, biting his lip as his eyes strayed elsewhere. By the fidgeting of his hands, Thor knew he was unsure as how to continue his next words. “This might sound, well, ridiculous, but I got the feeling our father was… not afraid. Cautious, cautious enough to seek not to displease him.”

Thor could not help but eye him with concern. Over the course of the years, Thor had seen his father conflicted, wary of the war and the threats that could befall upon Asgard. But never wary of individuals, never at all.

“I guess we’ll have to wait to find out,” he shrugged. “Did he say anything at all, beyond staying in Asgard for an indefinite period of time?”

“Well…” Loki sat up, seeming to meditate his answer with a faint blush in his cheeks that almost distracted Thor from the matters at hand. “He might have just been looking to displease the All-father, but he might have made some, uh, rather wooing comments, about me.”

Thor sat up straight as if lightning had hit him over the head.

“What you mean, ‘wooing?’”

A strange expression crossed his face. Any other time, Thor would have greatly appreciated seeing Loki opening and shutting his mouth like a fish, but today it was only making the dread in his stomach grow stronger.

“Did he say anything dishonorable, brother?” he asked, trying to mask the anger his voice.

“Of course not Thor!” Loki hit him in the arm. “Father would not have allowed it.”

“Then what sort of comments?” He asked him again.

“Nothing you should be concerned with,” he shrugged. “Father did say he was a hedonistic overlord of sorts, I’m sure he did not mean anything by it.” he said dismissively.

Still, Thor wasn’t quite sure he wanted to dismiss it just like that. There was something about this Grandmaster that did not sit well with him, at all. Loki and his father might be the only ones who had met him face to face, but only from hearing about him, he was sure he was not someone who could easily fall into his good graces. The fact that he had deemed it appropriate to try and woo his brother in front their own father...

“Now, don’t put on that face brother.” Loki chided him with a smile that was meant to be gentle, but only looked wolfish on his face. “You will meet him at dinner and I’m sure father won’t be pleased if you show up with a frown on your face.”

“Yes,” Thor suppressed the words he wanted to say “I suppose he won’t.”

He could only expect, with repressed dread, as to what dinner would bring.

 

* * *

 

 

Asgard’s banquets were not celebrations to be taking lightly.

“Careful with your drink brother, you wouldn't want to give a bad impression to our guest before the banquet even starts now, would you?” Loki’s smile was wicked and playful, and perhaps the first two cups of beer he had taken were enough to loosen him up enough to smile pleasantly at the sights.

At risk of calling  Loki vain, it had always been difficult to turn his sight from him at these kinds of occasions, in which he tried his best to look every bit the poised prince Thor was not. His brother certainly knew how to look attractive to the eye.

Though, his mind provided treacherously, it wasn’t really for his pleasure, when the guest of honour was the man Thor didn’t know, but was already starting to despise.

He took another swing of beer.

“If you pass out from the alcohol I’m not dragging you back to your chambers.” Loki rolled his eyes before taking but a sip of his own cup of mead.

“It is not my fault that you insisted on arriving earlier than our parents. None can fault me for wanting to entertain myself in the meanwhile.”

“Doesn’t change it from being a foolish decision.”

Thor didn’t get a chance to talk back before the doors of the hall opened wide, making way for Odin and Frigga to enter, sporting sour expressions on their faces. A man followed in their steps, sporting an obnoxious looking smile lined in blue metallic paint.

“A banquet!” the man exclaimed joyously “I knew somewhere in there, you still appreciated me old man.”

His father grumbled something under his breath before settling down at the head of the table. His stance tenser and more annoyed than it had been after any of Thor’s earlier escapades.

“We decided to celebrate the occasion accordingly,” his mother supplied with a courteous and obviously strained smile,

“Oh,” the man cooed “You shouldn’t have!”

At his side, his brother’s shoulders shook slightly and Thor noticed, not without annoyance, that he was snickering at the ridiculousness of the situation.

“And you’re here too? Charming!” he exclaimed upon catching sight of his brother waving at him, right after settling at the table, “And with a companion I see,  a suitor of some kind?”

“I'm Thor, God of Thunder and Son of Odin, his older brother.” Thor provided in a scruffy voice, whether that was from the beer or actual hostility he didn't know, nor care.

Contrary to his expectation, the man only smiled condescendingly with a cheery laugh.

“Quite the mouthful for a name isn’t it? Will have to find an easier substitute.”

“I find that ‘oaf’ makes a good substitute most times,” Loki supplied, an entertained smile on his face that was making it very hard for Thor to be offended by it.

“Very naughty!” the man giggled.

He opened his mouth with the intention to answer him, and as if sensing this, his mother glanced at him over the table. He promptly silenced any word he was to offer.

“In any case,” Frigga continued, “we’ve heard of your many travels outside of the Yggdrasil. What brings you to Asgard of all places; beside the intent of vacationing.”

“Well, there was this scavenger girl you see…”

Thor closed his mouth with the purpose of focusing on his meal, albeit if rather more violently than usual.

“Careful with the pork Thor,” Loki intervened after a while, “from the way you attack it, one might fear you want to kill it a second time.”

He tried his best try to retaliate with an angry glance.

“Didn’t take you for one to favour frivolous men, brother.”

“Oh please,” Loki smirked. “Dear brother, you wouldn't be jealous, would you? I hardly think a bit of teasing amounts for your grouchiness.”

“I’m not jealous, nor ‘grouching’ as you put it.”

“If you say so, dear brother.” Loki patted his back with a mockingly solemn expression.

“Hey, boys!”The man he now recognized as the Grandmaster interrupted them. “You look entertained down there, are you planning some mischief,” he waggled his eyebrows.

Loki bit his lips.

“I was just aiding my brother in his particularly foul mood for today.” He patted Thor again, albeit more contrite this time.

“I hardly think the issue of our young ones would be of your interest,” his mother intervened.

“Oh please,” he laughed with a dismissing gesture. “I couldn’t be considered old by any means,” he smiled, eyes darting slowly to his brother before the new gesture caught his face, lashes fluttering and a wink.

Thor had a hard time deciding what turn of events he despised the most during the last couple minutes, that the bastard had winked at his brother, or that his brother was gaping conspicuously.

An awkward silence broke across the room, the slight murmur of the few courtesans around them being the only white noise in the background.

“Dessert?” his mother asked after an awkward exchange of side glances.

“I love dessert!” The man exclaimed, quick to break off his flirting.

The rest of the dinner was, thankfully for Thor, devoid of any new roundabouts regarding his brother or the old man. Nevertheless, it was not lost to Thor that for the remaining time, the man kept glancing at his brother like a predator stalking his prey. Hunger and lust were both mixed in his eyes while they strayed back to his brother.

He didn't miss the way in which Loki, while not welcoming the stares, did not reject them at all.

He made sure his glass of beer never emptied.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I can finally start to kick in with the plot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!!! I'm really happy with the reception this has had so far! It's been a bit hard to work this with college projects and workshops taking most of my time but I will be on vacations soon and will be able to post more regularly. Hope you like it guys!!

 

 Another dummy went flying in pieces. Still, Thor didn't feel any better,

“Careful where you swing that thing, Thor!” Fandral laughed while trying to evade the rush of splinters.

“One would think you're trying to kill something,” Volstagg intervened slinging an arm over his shoulders amicably.

After last night's dinner and the subsequent purge of the alcohol from his body, Thor had been left feeling more frustrated than he had yesterday.

Nonsense, once again, he had no reason to be upset. Loki wasn't a thing to own, and it was his own decision if he so chose to put his attention on the man who had rudely entered their land just yesterday. It wasn't even that serious, if he so dared to be brutally honest, just small dinner-side chatter, most likely an attempt to be cordial. That much he could say about Loki. But even now, he could not ignore the looks the man had sent his way.

“Forgive me if I act crass comrades, I don't know what has come over me,”  he apologized, a simple bow to make them know he truly regretted it.

“No harm comes to it my friend!” Volstagg patted his back with enthusiasm.

“Yes Thor, it's not like we can ignore the reason for your pent up mood today,” Fandral chuckled.

“I beg your pardon?” he frowned, not without a flicker of fear crossing his heart.

“I think what Fandral speaks of, is the infamous banquet that took place yesterday,” Sif intervened with a mocking smile on her lips

“Never pegged your brother as one to mess with older men,” Fandral mused with a thinking expression “But then again he’s always been one to go after the power in wrinkled old  things.” He broke into a fit of giggles.

Thor glared at him, not happy with what Fandral’s words seemed to imply.

“Careful with your words about my brother,” he barked, pointing at him with his hammer. “He is a prince and I won’t sit here while you call him a floozy.”

Hogun placed a reassuring hand on his arm.

“Nothing to get worked up about, Thor. Fandral is only being a pain.”

“Yeah, no one is a floozy.” Sif snorted “We're just… entertained with the  turn of events.”

“You have to admit, that Grandmaster man made one hell of a spectacle.” Volstagg smiled, the memory clearly amusing to him.

In all honesty, Thor admits, it could have been humorous to him in another time. If it were not a serious threat to their world, or Loki, he would not have felt so sore at his friends having innocent fun at his brother’s expense. But he did. It was glaring at him right in the face along with his silent recognition of the reason behind it.

“I’m done with training today,” he declared, throwing the dummy in his hands, albeit stronger than he originally intended, to the ground.

He heard the distant sound of his friends protesting but decided to ignore them altogether, wandering away, and nowhere, at the same time. He was not so much angry at them, as he was with himself.

When had the mess he founds himself in actually started? It still wasn’t clear to him. Loki had always been his best friend and his brother, the one who always joined their adventures and cared about him even if he was being stubborn with ideas that would only end in disaster. They played together and lived like two parts of a half. So when did Thor start to think he was pretty? When did the subtle admiration he felt for his intellect change into full-blown adoration? When did he start to actively look, and yearn for his smile or his laugh, and feel as if he had been awarded Valhalla the moment he found them? And when did he start wanting for Loki to feel the same way?

Down the road, a boulder made him trip and he kicked it in frustration. Were Odin to find out the less than honorable way in which he loved his brother, it would be the end of him. Exile or execution. He did not see any other turn of events.

And what would Loki say? Would he laugh at him? The thought hurt Thor just to picture; but his brother had a mean streak in himself, not that it seemed to deter him when his mind took that downhill turn. Would he be repulsed? scared? heartbroken? That sounded like him as well... and it was perhaps an image worse than the mocking. His brother, the one he loved so much, looking at him like he would a stranger; a criminal.

Now that would prove to be even worse than exile or death.

“Shit man, who dumped you?”

Thor whipped around, a hand instinctively reaching for his hammer before realizing it was only a woman, who looked more curious than searching for trouble. She didn’t look Asgardian though, a bit more scrappy than most of his people, a bottle of booze at her side and empty ones over the ship she sat atop of. Looking around, he realized he was the odd looking one here. His walk of self-depreciation had brought him to the outskirts of the city where the Grandmaster's float had parked their ships, which meant, if he went back to his logic, that the woman probably worked for him.

“Hey, it’s not a stare show, if you’re not going to say anything of interest you had better leave.”

Despite his bad mood, he supposed she had a point. It would not do him well to be impolite to a stranger, even if said stranger looked ready to rip his head off.

“Uh no, no one dumped me. I just got a bit lost while…” thinking of all the ways he had fucked up? Hating himself?

“Sulking?” she asked, an eyebrow crooked sarcastically.

“Uh yes, sulking.”

She did not answer back, her eyes critical of him as he fidgeted with his hammer.

“I’m not giving you my booze to cope.” She finally said after a moment.

“I was not expecting so.”

“Good,” she nodded, “you can sit if you want, and talk about why a prince of Asgard came sulking into our camp, or, buy me more booze for my silence, though I might still ask for the booze if you tell me something of interest.”

Thor considered it for a moment. He had no issue being here and was definitely not going to talk about his illicit love for his brother with a stranger, but he could do with a bit of venting with one.

“Alright, it’s about my brother.” He said, taking a seat by her side. Close enough to be in her  range of hearing but not enough to be familiar.

“The pretty one the Grandmaster is smitten with?” She quirked an eyebrow.

Thor stared open-mouthed.

“Oh man I’m right?” she laughed. “And I’ll guess, you’re worried about his virtue being tainted by the old man, right? I had forgotten how funny you Asgardians are.”

Thor would be lying if he didn’t feel weirded out by her quick reaction.

“I didn’t think the court’s gossip would travel all the way here so quickly.”

“It didn’t,” she shook her head. “Me and my group around here, we take care of the Grandmaster, more or less. His mouth has no filter, so if he takes a liking to something or someone we know about it in quite, uh,detail.”

He didn’t like how that sounded.

“If he’s said anything foul about my brother I will-”

“Hey! Relax,” she chided him, “it’s not like he plans to abduct him into a sex dungeon or something. But, from me, to you, I would still be a bit careful. The Grandmaster likes shiny things as much as he likes to own and corrupt. If your brother is not interested, he will only be a bit like a constant pestering. If he is though, I would not be surprised if you found him high to his ass in some freaky space orgy, just saying.”

She said it all in this upbeat, just slightly slurred tone, and yet her eyes were serious, they said she was not joking around in this.

“I’ll take this into account,” he nodded, his lips pursed.  But his tone revealed more than he thought.

The woman nodded.

“You should.”

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

Tending to books was not a particularly boring task most of the time. Though, if he was honest, it was usually the magic section of the library in which he found himself and it wasn’t so much to clean as to read.

Loki assumed Odin would stop imposing these kinds of punishments once he had grown out of childhood, but then again, Loki supposed that in Odin’s eyes, both him and Thor would still fall under the ‘children’ category. You only went so far when your father was already old by the time you were born. Still, he supposed, it could have been worse, and he had to thank the already strained situation they were in for it.

It brought a strange turmoil to his mind.

Yesterday’s events.

It wasn’t like Loki was a blushing maiden, pushing for the interest of the first interested high ranking nobleman. He was above all of that foolishness... so he had no reason to  blush while that strange man continued to stare at him like he was eye candy. If anything he should be angry, it was disrespectful to a Prince of Asgard… and yeah, that was a stupid train of thought. It wasn’t even like this was the first time.

He huffed, exasperated. The rag with which he was removing dust discarded to the side while he suppressed that train of thought again.

“Someone is angry, I can see,” a voice teased; he turned to glare at them, freezing in his tracks when he found himself in front of grey eyes underlined in metallic blue paint. “Surprised to see me Charming?”

He coughed in an attempt to recompose himself.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you around here,” he replied courteously.

The Grandmaster grinned at him with the smugness of the ones who know beyond what they let.

Loki liked to read people, it wasn’t so much of a talent, but a resource for those like him, who didn’t win people over with a smile like Thor did. It kept him from trouble when he could help himself. Yet, this man, with his shifting expressions and lavish attire, made him confused.

He was a hedonist, that much Loki could discern easily, from the two, now three times they had met. He surrounded himself with pretty things and enjoyed pleasures like someone who trusted them to remain there, but knew they could be taken from him. And his face; Loki could see the face of a liar when he had it in front of him, and the Grandmaster was the face of honesty, only up to the point he pleased at the moment. That was the only way he could call it.

“I was looking for you.” The Grandmaster answered with a shrug, those eyes seeming to look him up and down, sizing up a threat, or appreciating it.

“Well,” Loki bit his lip, apologetic expression quick to his face “I’m sorry I will have to disappoint you. I find myself in current penance for the stunt I pulled yesterday.” The open smile who made everyone who wasn’t Odin forgive him.

“Oh please,” the other continued to grin. “We both know you can end this small duty easily.”  
It took  Loki a couple moments to realize what he was talking about.

“I’m afraid father would recognize my magic right away.”

Had he been that obvious? Was he getting rusty? The other had no way of knowing he was a mage.

“But he won’t do mine.” He flourished a hand, and just like that, in a small blue flash, the place was already clean enough to last for the next century. “Do you have any book recommendations?”

If he had to take a moment to compose himself, again, then Loki did not show it.

Had he given the Grandmaster any reason to be interested in his company? He supposed the trick he had pulled in the ship could make a very bored man interested in his company. But as he had thought earlier, he knew this was a powerful man. Surely he would be more interested in the company of any of the other courtesans who had no doubt approached him. His father it is then, he thought. He wanted something with the crown but neither his parents nor his brother had seemed to like him much, but Loki was the smaller of the family, it would be easy to choose him as a the easier way to reach him.

“Has anyone told you think too much?” The Grandmaster invaded his space. “Your face goes all…” he made a strange expression akin to a grimace. “I like it.”

Loki bit his lip while the man seemed to flutter his lashes at him.

Is this how Thor felt every time he went to the brothels downtown? Alright no, scratch that, this was nothing like that, was it?

“There it is again!” The other smiled,pointing at him. “Oh, you’re exquisite.”

He stumbled into a pile of books, his face burning red from the embarrassment as he did his best to recapture his poise once again.

A very clever strategy, he recognized, but he did not appreciate being taken for an easily swayed boy.

“I do not appreciate flattery in the form of mockery,” he retaliated before taking a book out of one row. “Does this one suit your taste?”

It was some diary of a man who had died of asphyxiation during an orgy. Loki thought it was fitting.

“Who said I was mocking?” Eyes seeming to taunt him into an answer. “Sit with me, would you?”

Loki had a strong desire to abandon the man to his own devices in the unending stacks of books, to see if his fake flattery got him anywhere before getting lost. But another shameful part which he would more prefer to ignore, seemed to lean into the praise, however fake it might be. He could not get out of the library without risking Odin knowing he had freed himself from his punishment.

“Of course,” he nodded; resigned.

It was a risk taken only for his own benefit, he told himself. Merely that and nothing more.

He was an awful liar when it came to himself.

“So tell me Charming, is being naughty in your nature, or are you just rebelling against daddy dearest?”

“I don’t know,” he replied, sharper than he’d intended. “Are you a hedonist by heart or are you just making up for old age?”

He wanted to slap himself so hard across the face with the thickest book in this library; bracing himself for the inevitable surge of anger. Instead, the Grandmaster broke into a fit of laughter.

“See! I knew I was right about you!” He applauded to himself. “Now, don’t bite that silver tongue of yours, I know you Asgardians have your reservations about me, but won’t you indulge me in a bit of nonsensical chat?”

Shut up or talk, those were his two options, and he made  a decision while grinning in a similar manner to him.

“I thought we were already doing that.”

Two could play this game.

“Yes, perfect…” He heard the man mutter under his breath.

“Do you make a habit of invading planets all of a sudden and then making yourself at home while trying to woo princes.”

“Only when the princes look like you and the food is good.” The other retaliated without batting an eye. “I actually feel wounded, your father used to be a frowny little kid but I hoped he would remember me more fondly than he seemed to do.”

Beating around the bush would not work for him here, not if he wanted to be in control of this conversation.

“You don’t look older than Odin.”

“Yeah, well. If he stopped being so angry, maybe he would have fewer wrinkles.”

Doesn’t like to talk about his age.

“But you are old..”

He was pushing his buttons on purpose, the brief wince in the grandmaster’s expression made it almost worth it.

“Only if you’re into that.” He winked, already recomposing his mask.

Was he? Loki wasn’t foolish enough to mess around with this man, but he would be lying if he said he was entirely against the idea.

“You want something from me, I can tell.”

Better to cut it out while it was still easy to do so. If one thing he knew about himself, it was that once he got his hands on something he would play with it until he was too deep inside it.

“Does that something have to be bad?” The Grandmaster inquired. It was almost like he was challenging him. Seeing how far he could press until Loki gave in

“You tell me.”

Feed him bits and pieces, don’t let go of the rope until you have all the details.

“You are one clever little prince, aren’t you?”

He only seemed more entertained as the conversation went on, and to his surprise, Loki found that he himself was also starting to enjoy the banter.

“Well Thor would not survive as a king without an adviser would he?” He laughed.

“But something tells me you would be more suited in a crown, right?”

He swallowed, the grin on his own face straining a bit at the corners.

No, not a king, Odin had made it clear over and over again, that he was not suited to and would not wear the crown, however smart he might be. He didn’t resent Thor. He did not have ambitions for a crown not meant for him.

Across from him, the Grandmaster smiled like he knew just how far his thoughts went. Suddenly, Loki felt nude in his presence; exposed even, but the Grandmaster did not say a word. Only stared at him like he was a marvel, a shiny complex game he was just itching to solve. What does he have in store? What can he mess with? And if Loki cast down his eyes, a sense of pride for being under those eyes hidden under his uncomfortable stance, he did not voice it, nor he refused to acknowledge it even in the back of his head.

“I’ll tell you what Charming,” he shifted in his seat. “Why don’t we make a deal of sorts, the two of us.”

“This is sudden.” Loki breathed, fingers tapping against the armrest of his seat. “You would have to have something of my interest to offer in the first place.”

“Oh, but I have.” He held up a finger, a smile slowly creeping onto his face. “You want to know about me, I can see it written on your face; you’re curious, aren’t you? Say I answer your curiosity, and in turn, you satisfy mine.”

“And the catch?” Loki leaned into him.

“You’re not an easy one to trick.” The Grandmaster chuckled. “Yes, well, I won’t reveal anything more important than what you reveal to me.  Think of it as a mutual benefit kind of deal.”

It was a trick to get him to spill Odin’s secrets, Loki would have to be stupid not to realize it. He was being played; but he was not one to turn away from it if he could turn it into an opportunity for his own benefit. Nothing assured him the Grandmaster was not going to lie to him, and he supposed the same applied to himself. In the end, it was a game of who could get the most out of each other without giving anything useful in exchange.

“Oh I like that grin, does that mean we have a deal?”

“I suppose we do.” Loki agreed, the smile on his face pulling at his cheeks.

This was going to be fun, this was going to be so much fun, he thought, extending a hand in agreement.

“Of course I count on you to not tell anything to the old man.” He retreated his hand for a moment.

“I would expect just as so.” He nodded and the two sealed the deal with a shake.

“And look! I’ll even let you have the first hand. My name is En, En Dwi Gast. You don’t have to prepare an answer to that now, consider it a gift on my part”

Loki smiled at him, testing the name in his mind.

“Very well, En.” He purred. “I look forward to paying your kindness in return.”

“I can’t wait” the other giggled, excitedly.

Loki was used to making a long list of foolish decisions, it wasn’t like anyone expected better of him. Perhaps something would come from this, something good enough to warrant more recognition than the oaf that was his brother got from defeating a monster here and there.

He supposed he would have to wait to see.

 

* * *

 

 

 

He managed to join Thor at the door of the library right before the other decided to go looking for him.

A mildly surprised expression crossed his brother’s face when they met, and Loki swore in his mind, hoping that he would fail to mention it. The both of them knew Loki liked to make him come to look for him everytime they made an agreement, but doing so today would have put in very obvious ground, the exchange that had just transpired between those walls. An affair he would be more comfortable not letting him know.

“Did father's punishment finally made you averse to libraries brother?” he finally asked with that sincere wide smile of his.

So innocent and yet so proper of him, Loki almost wanted to feel guilty for lying to that face.

“Well I can't say it was exactly a thrilling experience to clean around the library.” On his face a crooked entertained smile mirrored his brother’s.

Thor bought it, easily, as he had always done. His trust in Loki, while tampered by his knowledge of him and his trickery, still held to their bond.

If Loki even had a bond to hold up to.

They marched in silence, unusual, for the both of them once again. It was always Thor talking about this thing or another that his friends had done, this other reckless thing he wanted to do. Or Loki filling Thor’s ears with any kind of thing he was sure would pull a smile on his brothers face. Loki, on one side, knows his silence was due to the fact he couldn’t trust his mind not to wander to what had just transpired a few minutes ago.

But Thor had never been one to safeguard secrets or words.

“I'm not blind, Thor. Speak your mind and spare us this awfully boring stride,” he said, making a show of sighing dramatically, like Thor’s silence was a special kind of burden on his shoulders.

Thor only chuckled after a moment of surprise.

“Can't keep anything from you, right?” He grinned, so Loki knew it wasn’t something of gravity, to say the least. “I met a woman today. One of those who came with that Grandmaster yesterday.”

Loki quirked an eyebrow before he could stop himself.

“I can't say I'm glad you have come to terms with our visitors so quickly.”

There was just a slight hint of bite in his voice, but Loki convinced himself it was only in the spirit of chiding his brother's stupid decisions.

Thor’s step wavers, almost comical on a man his size.

“I assure you it was not like that, Loki.” He tries to say it with a laugh, yet it comes as an awkward cough, the seriousness an underlying tone in his voice.

Loki only smiles tight-lipped at him as he nods.

And here's the deal. Loki is not stupid.

For more than he plays the little brother role, the occasional dorky smiles and the childish pranks and sibling rivalry; even if he still gets flustered in the face of flirting while his brother's peers laugh at his face, he is not, by any means, an innocent fool. And one would have a fool to be in his place and not realize what was so blatantly written between them. Thor loves him. And not that pathetic excuse of love in which they slapped their backs and shared a beer and discussed whatever fling they had that week in some blunt shadow of camaraderie. He loves him like the epics and tragedies the bards sing of in the bars they used to frequent.

And for that, Thor is a fool. But it wasn't like Loki was any different in case.

It started innocently, a moment too close, the continuous and abrupt interest his brother had to please him. Those moments while studying in which Thor would stop paying attention to his book and instead stare at Loki’s face; his lashes as they sat at the top of his cheeks, his lips wrapped around a finger while he bit his nails. It came as a slow but steady realization for Loki. Not a slap in the face, but a moment of catching oneself thinking: damn Thor, I did not get drunk so you could leer at me while our parents are there; and then the simple dreadful moment of admitting it out-loud in his mind.

His brother, Thor, Prince of Asgard and heir to the throne was smitten with his brother of all people.

What a simply amazing fuck up, and not even done by Loki, even if slightly influenced without his knowledge. He would be humored if he wasn't downright terrified.

Not at Thor per se. He could never be afraid of Thor. If he were to lay a hand on him without his permission he would have already done so with so many opportunities. No, his fear resided somewhere else. On the possibilities. On the image of himself letting room to Thor’s affections, on them laying at each other's side and the disastrous side effects that would take.

Loki loved his brother, loved him like the moon loves the sun, but he was not in love with banishment and disgrace and not enough in love to destroy himself for him.

A simple decision if he came to it.

“… she was not bad, maybe a little drunk.” Thor shrugged, taking Loki back to their talk. “Apparently she is in charge of the Grandmaster’s care or something like that, whether that means bodyguard or a bounty hunter hired for the work though, she didn't tell.”

“She seems to have made quite the impression on you. Maybe I’d like to meet her the next time you do.”

That brought a chuckle out of him.

“I get a feeling you would get at each other’s throats at the first chance.”

Loki felt his own lips tug at the commentary.

Improper love, being aware of it or not, Loki still had one thing clear. He wanted to keep Thor, it didn't matter how. Because despite the way the both of them had somehow turned their lives into a mess and continued to do so, Thor was still precious to him. To lose him might end up throwing him into a path he would never be able to return from.

“Well, now you have made me curious.” He grinned, not bothering to mask the mischief in his smile.

“Careful brother, I don't want you in the attention of that Grandmaster man any more than father does.”

Jealousy if he'd ever seen it. Not that he would ever mention it.

“Never, Thor”

In the end, it was lie after lie, and wasn't that what his life was crafted out of?

 

* * *

 

 

Alone in Asgard’s library, a certain Grandmaster bit his lip, eyes buried into the retreating back of the Prince of Asgard.

He was an interesting one, the little Trickster Prince, with his cunning magic and mischievous intentions. Full of tricks and thinking he could deceive anyone from his thoughts when he frowned so prettily. Trying to be one step ahead of him with such a passion.

En had found a lot of interesting beings in the past, he truly had. When one lived a life as long as his, it was only destiny to do so. And yet, he found himself surprisingly eager to play with this one, this exquisite liar who liked to dress in the skin of a noble.

He made his way across the rows of books. The collection had grown bigger over the years, impressive, even for him. It was a shame that he would never get some of the books in Sakaar to join this collection. Mourning things only brought someone so far.

Finally, his finger stopped at a book spine, the blue leather in the back almost cold to the touch, a seal of sorts in the front that he broke easily with a tap of his finger. Odin was really protective about this one, wasn’t he? He could almost be proud.

Frost giants, a curious race if he said it himself, a bit resentful but he was not one to judge. The Asgardians thought them like monsters, scared their children with their stories and refused to mention they could also be considered so, after the war that had transpired so many years ago.

The journal of sorts was a register by Odin himself of the war with the Jotuns. He skipped a lot of uninteresting battle details, tries at peace treaties, slaughter, boring boring boring; until finally, there, his finger stopped.

A smile crept across his face.

He liked the prince, he really did, how could he not? As so, it was really a shame he would have to be another part of his game. Nothing to do about it he supposed, maybe he could enjoy him before it came to that.

Now, he went back to his train of thought, Jotuns were quite the vicious race. He supposed they would appreciate a bit of a hint on his side, a small jab to the secret that might as well take down Odin’s whole family. It almost made him sad, to imagine that pretty face when the hunk of his brother saw him for who he was, when he saw himself for who he was. Poor Loki, taught from childhood to hate himself.

Dire situations required dire methods, it was nothing personal on his side.

And who could know? Maybe, in the end, he would appreciate what the Grandmaster did, he for once wouldn’t care if he was blue or green.

It would all fall where it needed to. In the end, he discarded his worries, all he could do now was to focus on his own enjoyment. How long would it take him to tame the proud prince? How would he act once En was done with him? Oh yes, he almost squealed to himself, he could not wait to see it.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is!! As always, your comments brighten my days guys, I would love to hear what you have to say, be it here or in case you would like to say hi, or leave a question, in my tumblr InkHallucination, thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valkyre and Loki meet, stuff happens behind everyone's noses, Thor takes a (probably awful) decision, and the conflict thickens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took forever to finish, and I'm sorry for that, you're free to call me out for two weeks of no content. But anyway, I'm finally on vacations so have this from your's truly! Hopefully, I'll be able to write faster now that I'm free. As always, I'm infinitely grateful to my beta who's the only one making sure this is as good as you deserve.  
> Hope you enjoy it!

 

 

Just to set the record straight, Loki didn't make a habit out of sneaking out of Asgard.

Hell, he was not even escaping Asgard! He was not leaving the planet per se, only going out of the city limits without a guard or telling anyone.

It's not like anyone would notice if he could help it. The summer festival party would be until well into  the night, and he would not take so long.

Across from him, a hunter stepped off the bushes near him, Loki pulled his cloak closer to his face. Despite not being as popular as Thor it would be pretty easy for the average Asgardian to recognize his face.

“Going for a walk?” The man asked, curious if a bit meddling. Clearly not recognizing him, to his luck.

“Yes.” He replied, not stopping in his tracks.

“I would be careful if I were you. The foreigners have taken campsite beyond these trails, haven't heard of any incidents, but one can never be too careful.”

“I know,” Loki replied, eyes downcast as he went on his way, readjusting the bag strap at his side.

The Grandmaster had kept true to his word for the past few days. Meeting him in brief clandestine encounters of secrets exchanged in the dark.

Now, however, En had taken to his ship to attend what he called “urgent matters”. Whatever that could mean. And so Loki found himself hiking humid and tiresome terrain just to met the man and satisfy his ever damned curiosity.

He had a good reason at least, he thought, eyes trailing to his bag. It took him a few spells and lifting some magic wards that might or might not have burned his fingertips but he finally found some relevant information about the man in Asgard's library.

A few paragraphs, nothing concise, unless he wanted more burnt flesh. If what he read was true, however, it was all worth it.

What would the confirmation of his power be worth? His most intimate secrets? Asgard's most intimate ones? Any favor the other asked of him?

Loki would be lying, again, if he said he would not consider any of those. What were a few rusty words in any case? He could just tell him Odin liked to dress as a woman and serve the brothels and the Grandmaster would have no way of telling the lie at the moment.

A good plan if they asked him.

He swatted a branch away from his face and at last, came to face with the Sakaarian camp. A snort left his lips. He had been hearing his brother confabulate and grumble about the foreigner force that had invaded their planet. The kind of plans they could be crafting in the woods away from the eyes of Asgard. The reality? The most mixed cocktail of alien species he had ever seen

No gun or ragged army on sight.

Sensing no danger to be recognized he ditched the cape and advanced towards the hurricane of people in search of anyone who could tell him where to find the Grandmaster.

This, however, turned out to be difficult when he realized people were more interested in getting from one place to another than to paying attention to his small indecisive frame.

He should have asked for more instructions than to find their camp and go from there.

“Hey! Cheekbones, green cape!” a voice shouted from within the multitude. “Here! The girl with the white paint.”

There she was indeed. Short and sporting a tired expression, the white lines in her face marking her distinctively as a Sakaarian.

“You're Loki, I assume.” She spoke again.

“Who asks?” He replied instead, never one to walk into something without knowing what he had in front.

The woman rolled her eyes.

“The Grandmaster sends his regards. I'm to escort you to his mighty chambers for your visit or whatever it is you're supposed to do there. Don't tell me” she raised a hand before he could utter any word. “I don't want to know, just follow me, would you?”

“That would be wonderful.” He replied after a moment of intense silence.

She turned on her heel and started walking away before he could finish his sentence, he ran after her to catch up.

“I thought you would be blond.” She said.

“I see you have met my brother then.” He bit the inside of his cheek.

“Nice dude, too bulky.” She nodded.

“Did the Grandmaster not give you any indications of my appearance when he sent you to me?”

“Nah,” she shook her head. “I just looked for the next Asgardian looking dude to also look like a trophy twink and look! There you were. Work well done.”

Loki almost choked on his own breath.

“Excuse me, I don't know what kind of image you might have made yourself, but I'm no one's trophy twink, I'm here merely on business with the Grandmaster, it is entirely professional and not at all of the nature you're trying to imply.”

His throat felt dry only to consider the possibility. He was not some cheap whore for that man's entertainment. He was not. Was that what his people thought? Was that what he made himself out to be to external eyes?

“Relax,” she looked at him quizzically. “As most people here know, the Grandmaster likes pretty things, he gushes and gossips about whomever  he likes at the moment like a teenage girl. You're just this season’s darling, don't get too riled up about it.”

He nodded. Sure, yeah, don't get riled up about it. Nothing to be ashamed about. Shit, he could feel his face getting flushed, he hoped that the girl didn't notice, said hope soon crushed by the slight turn of her lips he spotted. Now, he wished he had not ditched the cape so he would be able to hide in it.

“We're here,” she announced, a turn to the left to get them right in front of a gigantic blue ship, a different outside appearance from the one they had met him in that first day on Asgard. But, if the trails of gold paint and glitter coming out of the door were any indication, surely decorated to fit the rather extravagant style of its host.

“Am I supposed to find him on my own on this ship?” he asked, taking in count the massive expanse of it. It would be equally hard, if not more so, to find one person across all those halls and rooms.

“Won’t be hard if you follow the sound of drunk people partying. But you're on your lucky day, I need to track him down to get my payment so you won't get lost on the way.”

“Thank you.” He breathed in relief.

“Don’t mention it. The code is 11305673. Don't forget it, or else you will be stranded at the door next time around, okay?”

“Sure.” He nodded.

Surprisingly, her claim ended up being true. As soon as he stepped in he was hit by the sound of music and the stench of sugary booze. The walls of the ship seeming to bounce with the beat of the strange songs coursing through its speakers.

“Is this, uh, usual? He didn't tell me they were supposed to be having a party when I arrived.”  
“Are you for real?” She raised an eyebrow, “this is a normal afternoon for these people. You're lucky you didn't walk up into one of the orgies.”

He swallowed.

“And I suppose you would know a lot about these so called, orgies.” He replied with slightly hostile tone to his voice.

“Only what I hear.” She shrugged. “Chill out, or I might actually start to think you are his trophy twink.”

He promptly shut his mouth as to avoid putting himself in an even more awkward situation.  
The doors to the party turned open.

Fluorescent lights and the throb of strange music into his ears, that was the first thing he was aware of. His whole body seeming to be hit by it. The woman on his side seemed unaffected by this new and strange ambience, an unimpressed stance as she marched inside, trusting him to follow her step without any words. If he was not in a rush to meet the Grandmaster, perhaps he would have stayed in place only to see what she would do.

There were too many people inside the room, too many to find his way around or pinpoint a person even if said person dressed as lavishly and extravagantly as the Grandmaster did. It seemed to be fashion, and admiring the bodies that swayed to the beat of the music, line painted faces and frivolous colors all blurring in front of his eyes, he almost found it beautiful.

“Is my Charming looking for anyone?” a voice he knew well spoke behind him.

It was always behind him, and by now, Loki knew better than to jump or show surprise. A lopsided smile getting to his lips as he turned to him, arm swiftly extending to grab a glass from one of the waiters walking around.

“Doesn't seem like I do anymore.”

By the way the wrinkles around the Grandmaster’s eyes seemed to mark deeper, Loki would guess that was the right answer to make.

“Did scrapper 142 escort you here?” He inquired, his voice slightly slurred, most likely due to whatever it was they were serving here.

“A very generous help, if a bit unnecessary. I would have found the way here on my own given enough time.”

“Yeah, I beg to differ.” She cut him off as she showed up to his side. “I'll give you points for finding your way around the room though.”

His smile grew strained in his face.

“A matter of opinion, I guess.”

A smile played on the Grandmaster’s lips, secretive, guarded, yet pleased.

“You might leave us Scrapper-142.” He replied without looking at her.

The woman left them without uttering a word, and for some reason, the loss of her presence made him feel exposed.

“Follow me Charming.” The smile on the Grandmaster’s face not doing anything to cover up the obvious command.

He didn’t ask before threading his arms over his and Loki did not say anything as well, simply following behind him to a place away from the buzz of the people.

“You,” he pointed at him, “found something about me.” An affirmation, he noted before sitting down, not a guess.

He mentally wrote down mind reading to the list of his possible abilities.

“Indeed I did. I was hoping you would shed some light on my findings.”

It did amaze Loki, the way in which the Grandmaster’s eyes seemed to tell when he was scheming something in that head of his. Written on his face. He had said once, back that day in the library, that Loki had an obvious pensive face, and Loki supposed it was the same for him.

“While I would, eh, be pleased to do so, we had a deal, you and me, what do you have to offer in return for that information?”

There it was, something Loki could work with. Bargaining was always a strong point of his.  
“Name your price.” He smirked at him.

The Grandmaster chuckled.

“Oh darling, I got a feeling you’re not ready for the kind of payment I would like from you.”  
Loki hid his blush by taking a sip of his drink.

“I’m sure we can come to an arrangement.”

“Mmm, perhaps.”

He signaled something to a waiter, soon, a new plate full of drinks appeared in front of him.

“I don’t suppose daddy dearest lets you in into the counsel yet?” he inquired looking at him over the glasses.

“Doesn’t mean I don’t have the ways to sneak in if you wanted me to.”

It was risky and in all honesty perhaps not the smartest exchange, Odin would kill him if he knew he exchanged important information with him. But it would get the grandmaster’s trust, and if the grandmaster made truth to his part o the deal, it would allow him to know more about what game he was playing into.

“Perhaps later.” He dismissed with a flick of his hand. “Are you comfortable with being arm candy?”

He barely refrained from spitting his drink.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Yeah,” En prompted, “arm candy, as in you put on a nice face and keep me company?”

“I’m afraid I’m not seeing your point”

“The point is, I’m bored.” He said it like he was admitting to an incurable illness, deflating into his seat. “There’s nothing to do here! All these people just drinking and dancing,” he twitched his fingers, “Nothing new, nothing exciting.” He whined. “But,” he raised a finger. “If you pose as my date for today and manage to make this any less of a bore, I suppose I could tell you a thing or two.”

The whole thing resonated wrong with him. He couldn’t know him well enough to really point out, but he didn’t look like the kind of man who did anything without a purpose. So what purpose did he have with this?

“I’m not a plaything.”

“’Course you’re not.” He shrugged. “But do you agree?”

It was easy, too easy, more likely a trap.

“And all I would need to do is act the part?”

“Well, I wouldn’t be against it if you wreak  some havoc.” He smiled. “Just have fun.”

It would still be hours before the summer festival party. If any new thing came out of this he would deal with it, later.

“Then I suppose I’m yours for the day.”

 

* * *

 

 

Loki was nowhere to be found.

Thor didn’t make a habit of wanting to know where Loki was at all times, that was not his style,  but he would admit he was a bit thrown off by the fact his little brother seemed to have gone somewhere without telling anyone. He had asked the maids, the servants he found in his way, even some noblemen. He could ask Heimdall, but that would be like saying it was an emergency, which it was not.

If it was not... Thor expected it was not. But then again, said thoughts crossed his mind as he approached his brother’s room for the second time.

There was no answer when he knocked. Much like the first time he had done so. He contemplated the possibility of Loki evading him, hiding in his room and refusing to meet him.

A ridiculous idea.  They had met just that morning in perfectly cordial terms. But Loki did have a habit of shutting his thoughts.

“Brother!” He called to the door, “If you're in there, please let me know!”

No answer. He could get in. Worst case scenario, regardless if he was there or not, he would get hexed, but Thor would at least know he was safe. Alright, there was only two not very good options but Thor had never let that deter him from doing anything in his life.

“I'm coming inside brother!”

Again, no answer. He braced himself for whatever his brother would throw at him and entered the room like he would do a beast’s lair.

No hex came for him and no brother came to his sight. A tired sigh left his lips.

Maybe Loki was just playing hide and seek? Either way, if he didn't want to be found, Thor would not be able to do so. Besides, he was getting tired of looking for Loki, so, taking advantage of the situation and in a small spirit of revenge, he threw himself over Loki's bed. Yeah, good luck fixing those covers you little snake.

  
He would probably just fix them with magic and then maybe exact some petty revenge.  That was how he did stuff.

Across from him, an old trinket caught his eye. It was laid on his bedside table. Small and inconspicuous, over a book of spells and some weird conjunction that Thor didn't dare to touch. He moved closer to it, a fond smile growing on his lips when he realized just what it was.

Loki had been a picky kid with a cruel streak. Still was, to be honest. One time, when they were barely entering their teenage years he had pulled a prank that ended in one of the servants breaking a leg. It wasn't his intention, but Odin still restricted him from the camping trip he and the warriors three had the following day. He didn't like to see his brother angry, so, when he came back, a wyvern skin on his back, he shaped the creature’s fang into a gift for him.

It was barely worth having missed their outing, but back then Loki had had a penchant for the obscure, so he thought it would be to his liking.

He never thought he would keep it until this day.

 Just as soon as that memory came,  it began to grow sour, the smile slowly leaving his face.

He could still remember that Loki. The one that looked up at him and believed him to be free of imperfections, that trusted him and wanted to be like him. What fear and betrayal would cross his eyes if he knew him today; his secrets.

Once upon a time the two of them had sworn to keep no secrets.

But Loki was no longer that little kid, and Thor was no longer his big brother.

They were simply not the same.

Loki had grown smart, insanely so. Smart enough to see his brother was good with his fists and hammer and no good with his words or feelings. Smart enough perhaps to see what went on behind Thor’s longing stares and drunken stupidity.

And if he knew, Thor could only be grateful that he refused to comment on it.

But was he?

The wyvern fang twirled in his fingers.

Years and years. They had an infinite amount of those in their future. By the time he was his father’s age, the leap from this moment to the one where he had gifted Loki the trinket would be but small jump, a blink of the eye.

What would Thor do in an eternity of longing?

Thousands of years of only desiring, never daring to touch as it was right, as he tried to convince himself that this was the only option to cover his sin.

And what a sin he harbored. He had meditated in all the terrible outcomes in the late nights in which his own guilt kept him from sleeping. When the only thing keeping him from the sweet release of unconsciousness was the very thing that made him yearn it.

An eternity of guilt he did not want to feel.

And yes, he would admit it out-loud in the privacy of his mind. He loved his brother, more than he was allowed to.

But did he really want to live this miserable trail of self-loathing another thousand of years?  
Not a chance in hell.

If he could rip those feelings apart and bring back the time in which Loki was only his brother he would. He would spare them both this fate.

But he couldn't. He didn't know how.

And just like that, a thought entered his mind. Venomous and sweet, spreading through his consciousness with a steady rhythm.

Was it wrong to want and be selfish?

Rewrite that. Was it wrong if he didn't hold back all the desire; all the lust?

He wasn't delusional to say they could become star-crossed lovers, that it would all be peachy and it would all turn out right.

But he could try.

The thought almost made him laugh deliriously.

To dip his toe into that forbidden pool, to take a taste of that forbidden fruit.

Terrible idea, the worse he'd ever had. And somehow that was not deterring him from it.

“That's your problem Thor,” Loki had said one time, resting athis side after a hunting trip.  “You are no good at thinking too much and yet you keep trying. Your best decisions are the ones you take in a second, it's all part of your damned luck.”

And Loki had always had a certain knack for understanding Thor.

So that was it, Thor thought. A simple statement in the back of his mind while he deposited the fang back to its place. He was going to do it, he would no longer shut out those feelings. He was going to pursue Loki.

It sounded easier than it really was. Loki might end up trying to kill him for even attempting such a feat. And at the end, it was his decision, not Thor's that would end up deciding both of their fates.

Good, he agreed.

He wouldn't have it any other way.

 

* * *

 

He tripped over his own feet, a slurred curse leaving his lips as he conjured more dignified clothes over his body.

In retrospect and evaluating the consequences of his actions through his present self’s eyes, making a deal with the Grandmaster had proved a terrible decision.

Don't get him wrong, he got what he went for, or a promise at least.  By the time the so called party was finished, he barely had the time to convince the man to let him go. It had looked good, an easy deal for what was vital information to him, but he soon learned, to his distress that the Grandmaster’s deals always hid a catch.

His mind was still too foggy to figure out what this catch ha been, why the Grandmaster had been so keen to keep him in his ship, and so reluctant to let him go. But he would find out, eventually, he always did.

Now, he was intoxicated, disheveled, and pretty much not in the right state to attend tonight's party, or any party for a good while. A hiccup left his lips, and he could only hope that the attention remained around Thor instead of on himself for the night.

No one could accuse him of killing the mood at the very least.

Finally, he entered the hall. Whatever some servant had tried to say was ignored in favour of getting this done once and for all. To his luck, he arrived right in the middle of his father’s speech, the attention of the crowd too focused on Odin to pay attention to him as he slid into his place next to Thor.

His brother did a double take on him as he fixed the position of his helmet.

“Loki!” he murmured. “I’ve been looking for you all day long, where have you been?”

He glanced sideways at him with irritation.

“Say it louder, I think mother didn’t hear you!” He rolled his eyes, the action slightly dizzying for a second.

“Hey, are you okay? You look a bit ill.” Thor furrowed his eyebrows.

If by ill he meant a bit drunk and out of it then sure, he was very very ill. One would have expected Thor to recognize said state on his own.

“Leave it be Thor” he replied taking his eyes from him.

It seemed like he wanted to say something else, those big blue doe eyes of his fixed into his face like he was trying to unravel any secret away from him by sheer power of will, the sigh he left after, a clear sign that he surrendered on it, as he always did in anything that pertained to understanding what went on in Loki’s head.

“Fine,” he turned to him, “but this shall not be the end of it Loki. We are talking when the party is over.”

“Do I get a right to refuse?” He whispered sarcastically.

Thor did not answer.

Alright, maybe he was being just a little mean to Thor. He had after all, kind of disappeared to visit the only person they told him not to frequent, and allowed himself to spend a bit too much time in his company in exchange for information that might or might not even be useful. He could only blame himself for the outburst, and yet, he glanced back at Thor, biting his lip to repress the apology from leaving them. Alcohol seemed to turn him into a sensitive mess.

A shiver crossed his body all of a sudden; the sensation creeping up his spine. Next to him Thor raised an eyebrow questioningly but refused to utter a word. A side effect of his inebriated state? It didn’t look like so. The rest of the guests did not seem to have his same reaction but he could sense the slight drop in temperature. The barest icy breeze.

The answer came to him before it did anyone else, his banter with Thor forgotten as he turned to grasp at his arm.

“We need to get out, now.” He hissed at him under his breath.

“What—”

Thor’s voice was cut short by the main doors bursting open. Someone in the crowd screamed as the frost giants barged into the room, swords at the ready, and all traces of alcohol vanished from his mind in a second.

This was bad, he thought, his magic summoning a pair of daggers into his hands, throwing them in the direction of a pair of Jotuns getting close to him and Thor. By his side, Thor had already summoned Mjolnir, his stance ready for battle in moments.

“We need to get everyone out Loki!” his brother called to him.

Loki looked around, helpless to the masses of nobles running around in panic. It was useless, he thought, eyes trailing back to Odin as he summoned Gungnir into his hands. Think. He was trying to think. The Jotuns who had entered were making their way to their father by slashing through anyone that stood in their way.

“It’s useless Thor!” He shouted over the multitude, rushing to his side.

“Then we must slay them!” He was resolved. That self-satisfied grin on his face, always so eager to prove his strength.

Loki did not have time to question the foolishness of his decision, eyes going back to the front just as a pair of frost giants approached them. He threw a blade up in the air, slashing across his attacker’s face, barely a scratch but enough to make him lose his composure, a leg hitting the back of his knees, throwing him to the ground and now at the right height to let him cut his throat, the blood that spilled over his hands ignored in favor of turning to his brother.

“You have stolen from us, Odin!” A voice called, making him turn once again to his father. Another group of Jotuns faced him, something dangerous simmering in those words.

“Lies!” His brother screamed at them, calling their attention to two of them.

The Jotun’s eyes glared at him, a strange sense of recognition crossing through their faces as their eyes went from his brother to him, he glanced nervously at Thor, his daggers back to his hands, ready to jump back to the fight before he felt it, magic pooling at their feet.

His mother shared him a look of regret before the floor swallowed them both.

Next time he opened his eyes, it was dark.

“Loki!” His brother’s voice called somewhere to his left, the sound of his heavy steps resonating around the space between them.

“I’m here!” he answered back, raising his hands to see if he could figure out where he was, “Follow the sound of my voice.”

Walls, he could feel walls, a low ceiling, no doors.

A pair of hands patted around his shoulder.

“Loki” He heard his brother sigh in relief. “Where are we?”

“I-I don’t know,” he stumbled over his words. “Some kind of passage it seems, an escape route perhaps. Mother must have sent us here to allow us to escape.”

He found a torch on the wall, he crossed his fingers around it, a pleased smile when he finally found the rune he was looking for. The torch burned alive with green fire, finally allowing him to see Thor’s troubled face.

“We need to get back to father.” He said sternly, turning to examine the wall like it would grow a door or burst open by his power of will.

“I’m sorry brother” Loki sighed. “But if it was mother who put us here, I doubt you will find any way to go back.”

“The frost giants have invaded our home! They’re seeking war, and I shall provide it!” He banged on the wall again, his strength doing nothing more than shake dust off the ceiling.

“Are you done yet?” He asked, not able to keep the bite from his words.

“You’re free to go if you’re not planning to help. But I am going back to fight by father’s side.” Thor glared at him, his thirst for battle overgrowing his reason.

Loki repressed the angry words threatening to slip from his lips. Thor was confused, angry, he knew how he got when the rage went to his head, the norns knew Loki himself did stupid things on most days. But not this, no, this was not a situation in which he could allow his mind to make idiotic decisions.

Frigga had sent them here, which meant she wanted to protect them. Whatever it was she wanted to protect them from was inconsequential and could wait until this mess was over, but Thor, Thor was their wild card. He didn’t see the double purposes in the actions they took, he knew of force and battle, and knowing him, he would find a way to get out of here and back into battle. Loki would lie if he said he didn't want to go into battle himself as well, to fight alongside his brother and father, but he had to respect his mother’s wishes if only for this time, if only to have faith and trust their actions.

He put a hand on Thor’s arm, gentle, caressing him soothingly. He was appealing to his brother’s deep love for him, a low tactic, he knew, but effective, he saw, feeling the muscles in his body relax, their eyes meeting as Loki put on his best imitation of the face he used  to sport when Odin screamed at them while children, like a kicked puppy, the face he knew Thor could not resist.

“Please Thor,” he implored him. “I know you want to march into battle; I want that too, but mother put us here, for what reason, I don’t know.” His voice cracked. “All I know is that I’m scared, for mother and father, for us.”

That little much was real, despite how he wished it not to be, every word was real.

Thor’s eyes softened, his grip on Mjolnir loosening until it fell on the ground, his arms coming to circle Loki, painfully fraternal around him. For a second, he surprised himself hoping for the touch to grow more intimate.

“If something were to happen to them, you’re all I have left.”He whimpered, his voice barely above a breath.

That seemed to do it, the rage in his stance disappearing to give space to that desperate longing that plagued him so much this days.

“I’m sorry Loki.” He sighed, arms growing tight around him. “You’re right, we should wait in here”

There was no satisfaction in his win, no feeling of victory despite having succeeded in his schemes.

“Will you stay with me?” he asked, already knowing his answer.

“I could never go anywhere else, Loki.” Thor shook his head, like the sole idea was ridiculous to him, and perhaps it was.

In the distance, he imagined the sound of battle, his mind swimming in turmoil as he braced himself to Thor, grasping to his form like he was going to disappear. If his strength hurt Thor, he never mentioned it, and if Thor’s caresses to his face walked on the fine line between the innocent and the intimate Loki refused to speak of it as well.

He found, to his horror, peace in said touch, and that alone was scarier than he dared to admit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, there it is. Next chapter I have a surprise for you guys, take it as my gift for you, so stay tuned for that. Feel free to share your opinions in the comment section or show up in my tumblr, InkHallucination, I don't bite and I'm always happy to see you come around and say hi.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the boys know nothing about communication, words are exchanged, some good, some bad, some ugly; and a certain someone is closer than expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm extra late, I know, I know. I'm already working on the fifth chapter so hopefully, that won't happen again.  
> This chapter is dedicated to Squeeze, who's probably somewhere out there at the moment, getting her face turned into gold. Without her aid this would be a mess of weird concepts like flushed voids and drilling eyes.

 

 

Morning, like most times, came to him with the admission of sound.

Loki opened his eyes to dark shadows and the sound of Thor’s snoring. It took him a couple of seconds to remember where he was, and why he was there. The memories causing a slight shiver to run down his spine.

His eyes strayed to his almost in search of reassurance. In there, Thor remained slumbering, snoring while wrapped in his own now dirty cape like he had not been bursting with bloodlust just yesterday; that only made the sight more surreal to his still not quite awake mind.

Contemplation aside, he thought before shaking his head, Loki could not spend the rest of his morning just watching and thinking, even if the tunnel had served them enough to sleep and stay away from the fight, whatever Frigga’s intentions had been for pushing them aside, they could not stay there forever.

“Thor, wake up,” he tried, crouching next to him to shake him gently. “Come on Thor, we can’t stay here all day.” The exasperation starting to creep into his voice with every second his brother refused to wake up.

Finally, Thor started stirring awake, groaning and twisting onto himself until his eyes landed on Loki’s face, the confused, lazy expression he had been sporting softening.

“Loki,” he said, still not quite awake and irritatingly cheerful, “what happened?”

“Yesterday happened.” He replied, not being able to help the aggression in his voice.

The quick hardening of his  brother’s expression was enough to let him know when the memories came rushing back to him.

“We need to go back to the palace,” he said, his tone enough to let Loki know this time he wouldn’t be swayed by any sweet words or wit.

Not that Loki had any intention to try anyway.

“It will take us a while to find an exit from this tunnel, I suggest you hurry up so we can get a head start.”

Loki is  already turning away when he feels Thor’s hand on his wrist, his strong grip grounding him in place without the need of any words, it almost brings a smile to his lips.

Almost.

“Is something the matter, brother? I thought you were eager to start our way immediately.” He inquired of him without turning his face, even though he already knew the answer.

After all, he had not expected to pull yesterday’s stunt without consequences.

“I- yesterday-,” Thor closes his mouth, trying to recompose himself before making a fool of himself further. “Did you mean it? What you said, about wanting me to stay by your side, no matter what.”

So it’s that which was troubling him. His conflicted moral compass, that voice that  he tried so hard to follow like it was law. Loki had long since known, from the moment he realized Thor’s affections for him, that those same affections were likely eating him from the inside out. He wasn’t like Loki, fluid in all things, including his values; and even Loki couldn’t yet come to terms with the affair they refused to speak off, however unfulfilled and secret it might be. That single thought of desiring his brother was surely enough to make his honour bound self twist in guilt.

A smile spread over his lips, soft and indulgent, before he turns to his brother.

“Why should I ever do otherwise, brother?” he answers him, ready to end the conversation, but Thor’s grip on his hand did not give in. “Is there something else that troubles you?”

Thor avoids his eyes for a moment, his lack of words almost as telling as any speech he could try to come up with. It’s both frustrating and endearing to no end.

“Yesterday you were scared,” he begins, with a hesitance not quite proper of himself, “I know you enough to know you would twist your words to suit your purpose”

“I don-,” he tries to rebuff it.

“And I won’t judge you for that,” Thor cuts him before he has a chance to even deny it. “But I still have to ask.”

Loki preens and moves closer, the confidence in his strut achieving what his words had not, and he suddenly feels vulnerable, not scared, not intimidated, but a conflicted void at the pit of his stomach, knowing Thor’s intentions without his awareness, knowing the power he holds over him and still, in the most hidden part of himself, desiring to surrender to that need.

“Would you keep the same bargain? Would you stay by my side no matter what.”

The words almost make him twitch because he knows what Thor means, he knows more than he lets show, but Thor is not aware of this, and Loki doesn’t want him to be.

So why is he asking this of him, now,  of all times? Why does he even need to ask unless…

The thought of it is almost hilarious.

“If I were to run at your indiscretions Thor, I would have done a long time ago.” He smiles, not to reassure him, but satisfied with the subtle implications of his words. “I’ve seen the dark in your light, it has yet to drive me away”

With that said, he pries Thor’s arm away from him, gently, as to not give him the wrong impression. There’s  slight confusion in his eyes, but Loki does not have enough strength, physical or mental to deal with it.

“Come on” he calls to him once again, resuming his path towards the end of the tunnel, “We’ve already lost enough time.”

A few hours later, Loki regrets stunning Thor with such cryptic answers. The tunnels are narrow and dark; air currents and a torch lit by his own magic, the only means they have of finding the exit. Frigga really did not want  them to join the fight, that much was clear, for even if they had intended to go out the natural way, by the time they would have found the end, the fight would have long since finished. After hours spent just walking and walking, even Loki had started to miss Thor’s voice in anything more than grunts and affirmations.

Finally, just when his knees were starting to turn wobbly, he sees the light of day down their path. He will never again complain when Thor forces him on a hunt with his friends.

“Thor, hurry up we’re almost there.” He pats his arm. Even him, with a far better build and physical prowess than Loki seems tired, and is revitalized at the sudden at the sight of light.

Before he realizes it they’re rushing towards it, last reserves of energy burning in their eagerness to get out. Light gives in to the sight of wildlife.

And with it, a stick throwing him off of his balance and on his butt.

“Oh,” the Sakaarian woman who had led him to the Grandmaster says, almost deadpan, “it’s just you two.”

He stared at her shocked, expression mirrored by his brother who had been thrown into the ground as well. She carried an awfully strong strike.

“What, are you going to stare at me all day, or tell me why you’re coming out of a cave? I thought you two were Jotuns who stayed behind. Get up before the ground decides to swallow you.”

“You know of the attack.” Loki notes while getting up.

“You think you and your fancy noble friends were the only ones who had to deal with them?” she rolls her eyes. “Sorry to break the news to you but they did more than just spoil your summer fest, I was actually trying to find if any of them had decided to stay behind,” she muses.

Once again, in his element, Thor steps up, oozing the self-confidence that only he was capable to pull off without looking half as ridiculous as he should.

“Worry not, for once we’re back to the palace, me and my father will make sure to slay each  
and every one of those monsters for ever daring to attack our homeland.”

Instead of the fawning smile, he’s expecting, she frowns, a subtle layer of annoyance settling on her face, as she looks from his brother’s face to Loki’s, back to Thor’s.

“First of all, I don’t need the help of Asgard, so you can take your chivalry back from whence it came. Second, despite whatever past rivalry there was between those realms, I would have expected for the royal house to at least  see past their little quarrel and have a bit more respect for their enemy. Clearly, I was wrong.” She starts to walk away.

Loki considers letting her go, for despite him starting to grow fond of her rash way of talking, she’s still a stranger, and he’s more concerned with finding his way back to the palace. That itself, however, calls to his attention that they’re in the middle of a forest they know nothing about, and it would take them a long time to find the way on their own.  He’s very much craving for a hot bath and his bed.

“Wait,” he calls after her, a warning glance to Thor before he runs to her side. “Excuse my brother’s foul words, we’ve spent most of the night and morning in the caves looking for a way back to the palace, the circumstances might have affected his manners.”

She still looks fierce, her eyes drilling through his facade as if she already knew her way through his lies despite barely meeting him yesterday.

“I know you might have other things to do, but if you would indulge us in showing us the way,I assure you we will reward you in any way you see fit.”

That captures her attention, her eyes obviously skimming over their now tattered -but still impressive under the dirt- royal clothes. Loki remembers her doing the Grandmaster’s supper for what was to be sure an attractive reward, and he knows over everything else, she favours her own benefice.

“I suppose I could use a few extra coins, my booze reserves are starting to get slightly short,” she shrugs. “You and his royal highness better keep up if you don’t want to get lost again though.”

“That would be no problem.” He concedes, in a manner very similar to  how she had done yesterday at the Sakaarian camp, she’s already rushing off into the forest bushes, he turns to look at Thor for a moment to see that he doesn’t stay put in some silly pride fit,  but thankfully he follows behind her, and he makes sure to do the same.

The three of them follow a steady pace across the wilderness.

“So…” Thor clears his throat awkwardly. “I apologize for my past slip. It was not my intention to offend you milady.”

“The sentiment is appreciated Odinson, but if you call me milady again you will no longer possess a tongue to do so.”

Loki almost laughs at Thor’s stunned silence.

“What would you have me call you instead then? I'm afraid neither me nor my brother have had the honour to know you by any other name.”

“Really?” she asks, glancing back to Loki. “How rude, I would have thought the Grandmaster would have filled you in on that.”

Thor’s neck almost snaps with how quickly he turns to look at him.

“I’m afraid he didn’t say much beyond scrapper 142.” He concedes knowing it futile to feign ignorance.

“Yeah, well, good memory has never his forte, to be honest.” She shrugs, the side look she gives him enough proof that she knew he was getting him in trouble.

He was not going to hear the end of it once they were back to the palace.

A soft satisfied smirk curls on her lips before she speaks again.

“Name’s Brunhilde. Not that I use it that much lately.”

“Sounds Asgardian.” His brother observes.

“Does it now?”

It’s said in a tone that leaves no doubt she’s done talking about it, but Loki stores the conversation in the confines of his mind. It might be of use for him later on.

“This is where we part ways.” She announces after another long uncomfortable journey later, using one hand to sign over a path beyond the tree line that looks familiar enough. “I’ve got stuff to do beyond helping you and I’m running late, but next time we see each other I’ll be expecting those coins.”

He hears Thor mutter the proper promises of reward behind his back. Loki doesn’t bother to do anything similar before going ahead through the path she signaled. He doesn’t think Brunhilde expects him to anyway.

“You said you would not keep treating that man.”

A sigh left his lips.

Wherever she was, Loki hoped Brunhilde knew her little joke was paying off. Almost as if she was able to smell the overprotectiveness in Thor, or maybe that was the subject of their first encounter, Norns knew Thor liked to boast about all his troubles and doubly so if they involved Loki.

“Did you?” he asked curtly.

Whatever moment they had together that morning, it didn't change that Loki didn't take kindly to being ordered around, like he didn't know any better over his own steps.

“Loki…”

“Look, Thor, I appreciate your worry,” (he didn't), “but I do not need you taking care of me like when we were kids. If I choose to meddle with him it’s not your business.”

“Father said-” Thor tried to plead before Loki cut him off

“Father says a lot of things, most of them you don't listen to anyway, if I need to remind you.”

Loki wasn't fond of these discussions, even if he often initiated them and fed the fire with his own cutting answers, yet it was so easy to get involved in them with Thor in recent days. He tried to tell himself it was the product of their own frustrations talking, frustrations with their impending royal responsibilities, and with themselves. But that still didn't silence the longing he had for the days in which they were inseparable.

“I don't trust him,” Thor said, like that alone was a reason to stop him.  It might have been in the past.

“If I wasn't your brother you would not trust me either.”

“You treat them like guests, brother,” he grunted, “but you would do well to remember they marched into our home with their weapons on hand, not that much different from the Jotuns last night.”

“And you would do well to remember Odin has received them.” Loki snapped, stopping in his tracks and turning to him with a cruel smile on his face. “Maybe if you paid more attention in our classes than to the battlefield you would know what that means.”

It was a sore point of his, he knew from the way Thor tried to hide the grimace on his face.

“Odin might have received them, but even our father's allies have betrayed him before.”

“Oh please,” he huffed, exasperated. “You're grasping at straws, you're so desperate for war you think every small issue is worth starting one. You would not last a day as a king.”

Every word he says is sharper than the last.

“And you would!? You mingle with criminals and dark arts, Loki, you belong with the shadows and we've both known that for a long while now.”

It’s a low blow, one that only tells him how far he has gone in this quarrel.

“Yeah, well, those criminals and dark arts have saved us, dare I say quite as much as that hammer of yours has. Or did you forget how we managed to save ourselves another long time span searching for our way home?”

“I do not need of your tricks to save myself,” Thor spits.

“Then I hope you have fun finding the way on your own.” Loki answers, and before he can think otherwise he’s already transported Thor to some obscure place deep in the forest behind him.

A second later, he wants to hit himself over the childishness of his actions, but it's already too late. He's too prideful to go back for him or to admit he's sorry.

Still, he looks at the trees behind him almost as if he could  enchant his problems away, no conflicting feelings for his brother, no desperate attempts to prove himself, no grasping at straws to know his own mind.

But even he can’t perform magic so powerful.

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

“Is the shitted on expression a family thing, or are you just unlucky and sour?” Brunhilde smirked when she found Thor for what was the second time that day.

Her presence did not do well in appeasing the loud ringing in his ears, the deep  simmering heat of rage that was brewing inside him. Loki, it always had to be Loki. The one who kept perturbing his mind with every little flick of his words and actions.

He was going to drive Thor mad at this pace.

Thor didn't like to enrage him; he didn't like to upset and threaten his frail temper, and he trusted him; don't ever dare to think otherwise, he trusted him with his life.

Yet, just in the same way Loki knew how to shape his words and his trickery, he knew how to hurt with them, how to wound someone in their weakest points, and he did it viciously.

“You know, I would at least expect you to speak back to me in gratitude for this morning.” She quirked an eyebrow, and that gesture, so reminiscent of Loki only served more to fuel his anger. “Or at least to ask for my help again since you seem to have found your way back to where you started.”

“I’m not in a mood to talk,” he grunted.

“Oh, excuse me, your majesty,” she said with mockery in her voice, “How could I not notice I was inconveniencing you. My bad. You know, you’re lucky we’re not in Sakaar, I would have electrocuted you by now for that alone”

“You might have tried.”

“What, did you fight again with your brother?” she quirks an eyebrow. “‘Cause just so you know, I doubt you’re making the journey here twice, just for the amazing views. Don’t make me want to punch an answer out of you.

“I can find the way back on my own.” he tries to drive her away. “You can get back to where you came from”

“Yeah, forgive me if I don't believe that. Plus, it amuses me to see you so disgruntled. I'm afraid I'll stay for the show, your highness.”

He starts to wonder whether Loki possess the power to alter events just so that they can cooperate in causing Thor further discontent, or if the Norns just love messing with him.

“Oh I get it, you're trying to ignore me to see if that drives me away, prime problem-solving technique right here, I'm guessing it didn't work very well with your brother, did it?”

“Keep talking and you will not get any of the remuneration we might have promised you,” he glared at her.

“You're threatening me?” she asked in a tone more amused than angry. “Again? Damn, I need to know what he did to get you so angry, did he kick your nuts? Hurt your pride?”

His face almost contorted back into a grimace, a face he more often than not, seemed to adopt with every sensitive thing that involved Loki in his mind; there was a long list of those to reminisce.

“Hit the nail, didn't I?” she smirked to herself. “Should have known, Asgardians and their pride, too easy to mess with. And Odinson’s a tenfold  so.”

“And what would you know about pride?” He snapped against his better judgment. “You're a scrapper from a planet full of scoundrels and criminals.”

For the first time in her teasing, she lost all remains of a smile, he found no sense of victory in the glare that formed on her face. It was dark and old, seething, and it felt too close to his father's.

“Scoundrels and criminals huh? That's what Asgard thinks of us? You're not much better, you know? You might hide behind shiny buildings and fancy bullshit, but behind the gold and the frills you're as dirty as any of us.”

“You have no right to say any of that!” He pointed at her, the stress and frustration from the previous night and up until that moment, finally catching up him in an effervescent explosion of temper.

“No right!?” she laughed bitterly, “I think I have enough right to do so!” She slapped his hand away.

“Say what you want, but once I'm back to the palace, father will agree with me that we should throw you out, back to where you came from. For all we know, it was you who brought the frost giants here.”

“Yeah, go hide in your father's skirts,” she taunted him. “But before you do so, please ask him for any of the hidden treasures he hides in that vault of his. Truly ask him, see if he even dares to tell you half of it. Or better yet, wonder how it is that he managed to get all nine realms in his palm, cause I can tell you it was not from fighting with honor.”

“You speak only in lies,” he shook his head, finally deciding to be the one to walk away.

“No,” she smiled coldly. “That's more like brother's expertise.”

 

* * *

 

 

 

By the time he got back to the palace his feet were on the brink of blistering and the sun laid low on the horizon.

His brother was nowhere to be seen. A part of him had slightly hoped for him to have gotten lost along the way, so that he got to experience half of the tiredness Thor had. But he knew the probabilities of that, were as low as they were for him saying sorry about what he had done.

Furthermore, by the looks the servants were giving him, he probably looked like a walking disaster, armour stained with mud and grass, along with a deep desire to punch the anger out in the first thing that stood in his way.

First, their mother sending them away from the battle, then Loki refusing to see reason in Thor’s words, using his magic to terminate the discussion by messing with him on a line that bordered in madness; and the scrapper’s lies, because he was sure that no one of her origins would be able to know what she claimed to .

Forcing said anger down, he looked for his father.  He was sure that he would be the only person who would be able to see he was right.. He was done talking with those whose only weapon was lies.

And yet, for as much as he strode the palace halls, he wasn’t able to find him. Not in the throne room and not in any of the other rooms he looked into after that.

Defeated and tired, he finally sat down on the floor. It was hard to be angry and set on something when you were too tired to even manage one at a time.

“I was wondering when you would give up to rest.”

It was a kind voice he was very familiar with

“I’m not giving up.” He replied, with  as much resolve as he could infuse into his words, it wasn’t a lot to begin with.

His mother smiled complacently at him.

“Loki came in a few hours ago, I was wondering why you were absent from his side though… that glare on your face tells me it wasn’t an accident, am I right?”

He huffed bitterly.

“That’s one way of telling it I guess.”

“You know I don’t condone his actions, but you should have learned the way he answers to discussions since the time he stabbed you in the leg.”

“We were not discussing,” he found himself excusing it. “We were just…we were-”

Patiently, Frigga sat next to him, that soothing presence she seemed to carry around putting out any fire that still lay inside him.

“You were what, honey?” she brushed his hair aside “Start at the beginning.”

“It’s Loki,” he said. In his mind, just that name was enough to summarize all the problems that plagued him.

“I assumed so.” She prompted him.

“He’s still frequenting that Grandmaster man, I told him father forbade him but he refuses to listen, things escalated and before I knew it he had transported me back to the  tunnel you put us in last night.”

She looks stunned for a moment, something he can’t identify crossing over her face before it’s hidden, an amused smile taking its place.

“He’s always had a penchant for drama, hasn’t he? Sometimes I think he would be happier as an actor than as a prince.”

Her words are laced with an underlying yearning, and sitting with her, it’s hard not to look at Loki the way she does, a trickster and a rogue, who she could read even beyond the layers of lies, walls, and traps.

“You want me to forgive him.” He states

“Thor, you and he are more alike than you would care to admit, if you don't intend to do something, I doubt there’s force in the nine realms that could push you to do it.”

“I’ve got no reason to forgive him.” He shakes his head.

“Maybe you don’t.” She smiles. “Just like he didn’t have a reason to do the same in the past. But you and I know neither of you can stay mad at the other for long.”

He gives her no answer, fiddling with his hands and the handle of his hammer under the intense scrutiny of his mother.

“You and Loki will always fight and claw at each other, that’s a fact of the universe. Hurt and support in equal parts. But, maybe if you both start to accept each other’s nature, a balance might come to form.”

Next time he turns to her, she’s gone. A question still hangs on his tongue, but he thinks she already knew that.

 

* * *

 

 

Regret was a whispering nagging that wasn’t resolved by striding down halls like a mourning specter.

And hiding behind books didn’t make the cut either.

Thor had breached the palace for a while now. He had been purposely avoiding his regular routes to avoid the confrontation. Avoiding and hiding, two things he knew very well how to do.

Mother had been avoiding him as well, no doubt shying away from the moment he would inevitably question why she had taken them away from the battle. It wasn’t as if they were little kids, and albeit they lacked experienced against Jotun warriors, he knew that wasn’t the reason why, and she likely did too.

The palace halls were silent to the questions which haunted his mind. No trace of the altercation, no trace of it’s rulers.

He had tried to investigate more about their enemy, to see if he could discover what was the stolen item they claimed Odin had taken, if there even was an item at all. But the information about the war was even more safeguarded and even more scarce than the one he had looked for about the Grandmaster.

Soon, he found himself going back to his room, as many books as he could find in his hands and a tired sigh leaving his lips. It had not been the best of days, and all he desired at that moment was to get into his bed and not wake up until it was inevitable.

His steps faltered.

In front of his bedroom door, Thor waited for him.

“I see you arrived well,” Loki said after a moment of hesitation, words as cryptic as he could pronounce them before walking past him.

“I wanted to talk,” Thor’s voice calmer than it had any right to be, while Loki fumbled with the door.

“Yeah, well, we all want something. Doesn’t mean we should get it.” He entered his room, slamming the door behind him.

Thor took the liberty to invite himself in.

“I’m not in the mood for another fight.” He sighed without looking at him. “Just go back where you came from and we’ll pretend nothing happened in a few days, as always.”

“I would prefer we didn’t.”

Loki almost slammed his books on the bedside table. Thor was looking to get back at him, he could feel it. His voice was bordering on just in the line of hostile, too soft, too controlled, it was driving him crazy.

“What do you want from me then!?” he exclaimed at him.

“I told you before Loki, I only want us to talk.”

“Talk about what,” he hissed. “If what you want is an apology, you know you won’t get it.”

“I wanted to say I was sorry.”

His hand twitches, somewhere in his mind he struggles to comprehend those two words, surely he must be hearing that wrong.

“No, you’re not.” He replies, trying to shake off the uneasiness in his skin.

“Yes, I am.” Thor says, approaching behind him until he feels his hand grasping the side of his neck, gently turning him around to face him “I am. I’m sorry I said all that to you, it was wrong, even if your words cut me deep.”

“Am I supposed to honour this show of benevolence from you and apologize as well?” he said, still sarcastic, his face yet to soften, but he thinks not even all that gets to hide the warmness that spreads through him at those words.

And he hates that feeling for even attempting to settle inside him.

“I don’t know,” Thor sighs. “You’ve always been your own person beyond what anyone expects of you, I just thought I owed you that after today.”

He swallows as Thor’s hand lingers a moment on his neck, his thumb caressing his skin with the lightest of touches and he resists the urge to lean into it. His eyes are way too soft. Soft enough that Loki wants to believe him, even if the mere concept of Thor apologizing feels like he has entered a warped and twisted reality.

“Anyway,” Thor seems to shake off his stupor, “I did that, so I uhm, suppose I overstayed my welcome, I should get going.”

The warmth in his cheek slips away along with Thor’s slouched figure towards the door.

He could leave it there, let him slip away with his tail between his legs, but the words fall from his lips before he even can register his thoughts.

“Thor, wait.”

The sound of steps stops.

His brother stares at him with so much hope it sends a stab to his heart.

When they were kids, their fights were no less heated from now, and Loki remembers many a time when their bantering would leave him in tears, the only thing that ever made Thor be anything reminiscent to apologetic. Thor always refused to leave his side at those moments, his stubborn hot-headed self refusing to stay away when he felt guilty.

So he knows exactly what he’s doing with his next words.

“Stay.”

The way Thor’s face lights up is almost blinding to Loki’s own tired and guarded eyes.

They say no words, no sounds muttered as if they feared the sound would break the fragile integrity of this moment.

There’s a lingering ringing in his ears that warns him against the dangers of his actions, what he’s playing at when Thor’s body wraps around him in an embrace that’s at the same time too intimate and too distant for his liking. He tells himself nothing will come from that alone.

He’s lying

 

* * *

 

She kicked a stray piece of trash.

Asgard’s nobility, and their efforts to cover up and hide their deception; it was a tale she was starting to get tired off. She had hoped for a change after all these years, but then again, she could not say she was exactly surprised either. Odin was old and stubborn, and seeing him interact with the Grandmaster was almost enough to make up for having to come back to here of all places.

Not that they had a lot of places to go.

It was still was strange, being back in Asgard, all these years later. She was no longer tied there, no one left to remember her, except for Odin and maybe Frigga, if they did not give her up for dead.  Still, so many things seemed to try and pull her back here, so many things made her remember the past, those little remnants of the history those Asgardians so quickly seemed to have forgotten.

That prince the Grandmaster seemed to be fixed on for a start. She knew he was not Hela. For all she knew, he didn’t even know Hela had ever existed, something that, she would admit sat well in her heart. She got a kick out of knowing the witch had not gotten the honour of being remembered, even in fear.

The other Odinson was not so much of a visual memory of the things she had spent an eternity trying to bury as his younger brother, but that still did not mean he was any better. He was reckless, hungry for blood and battle; qualities that, while not so engraved and dark as they had been in Hela, still were dangerous to have in the crown prince of Asgard.

Odin never seemed to learn, did he?

It was hardly her business to keep his children in line anymore, she dismissed that train of thought. Whether they turned out to be another disaster in the old man’s hand, and they most likely would, considering the looks they gave each other, it wasn’t her problem. She was here to survive, not go around playing babysitter.

Finally setting that clear in her mind, she climbed up the side of her ship, a bag of food hanging securely over her shoulder as she entered the code she needed for the trap door to open.

When she got into what served now as her living quarters, she was pleased to find he had not gone anywhere. Eyes no longer glazed as if still sad, hands that no longer shook and pulsed with green over his skin, covered with a sheet as he had been since she had smuggled him  out of Sakaar, and as it seemed to become a habit to him, watching the video of the red-haired woman like it would bring to him the answers to everything that was not right in his world.

“Hey, Bruce!” She called, “I got dinner for you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada! So, Bruce is out there, and he's doing his best? There's serious stuff going with him and I can't wait to show more of that. Next chapter will bring back the grandmaster, add even more conflict to this mess and some unexpected(long awaited) turn of events.  
> If you got doubts, screams, Tommy Wiseau quotes or just want to say hi, feel free to leave a comment or go to my tumblr InkHallucination. I hope you guys enjoyed this last chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drama ensues. I apologize.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dreamed a dream in times gone by, when hope was high that I would update bi-weekly.  
> Have I ever mentioned how much I appreciate you guys for putting up with the wait? I swear I'll learn how to update softer, little by little, maybe the next update will only be one week and a half away.

 

 

 

 Someone had breached his mind walls.

The intrusion made his eyes snap open. Next to him, Thor let a loud snore, seemingly unperturbed. Briefly, he considered the feeling as a mere dream he had let get to his head. Then, just when he prepared to lie down once again, the intrusion came once more, making him tense for a second time. Confusingly, the presence reaching out to him wasn’t harsh, or obtrusive. It came slowly, gently, not making an effort to mask itself as it gently tapped on his mental walls.

Words, velvety and inciting, murmured silently in his ears.

_Open the window._

He frowned, eyes straying to the window that led to his balcony, covered at the moment by a heavy curtain.  Looking down at Thor again, he considered waking him up just so he would have backup in case his nocturnal visitor wasn’t pleasant. However, the voice had called out to him, opting for waking him up rather than attacking him whilst he slept.

Gently he removed himself from Thor’s grasp, taking the dagger he kept at his bedside before he started to approach the window, his steps muffled by the thick carpet, until he was right in front of the window. Breathing in, and out, he prepared himself for a possible attack and pulled the heavy curtain aside in a quick motion.

On the other side, the Grandmaster gave him an awkward wave.

Confused, he blinked at the frivolously dressed man like he would disappear from his sight at any given moment.

When he did not, he sheathed the dagger into his robe and slipped onto his balcony taking care to not make any sounds that could startle Thor awake.

“What are you doing here?” he hissed at him.

“Oh dear, not feeling charming today, are we? No need to get angry, I was merely uh...paying you a visit.”

“On my balcony?” he deadpanned

“House visit!” the man said cheerfully.

“In the middle of the night?”

“Late night house visit! The Allfather is, well, not that  flexible when it comes to allowing my visits. Figured I could play nice and make you an unofficial one.” He smiled.

Loki evaluated the man critically. He wasn’t foolish enough to dismiss him. For all that he seemed to play the part of the clueless overlord, Loki knew enough to see he carried secrets up his sleeves; plans, however outlandish they might be. It wasn’t advisable for him if he wanted to carry on with whatever risque plan he was following, to fall out of his good graces.

He supposed he could play the gracious prince even if the timing was askew; a practiced coy smile slipping onto his face like a second skin.

“And what matter could you be looking into, with me, at such hours of the night?”Teasing, but just so it was still in the line of courtesy, just the way a man who was used to everything but appreciated the fun of the chase would like.

“Mmm, that’s more like it,” the Grandmaster mused, his smile turned into a grin. “Well to be honest,” his grin now slipping into the closest thing Loki had seen to a concerned frown on his face. “I just wanted to check to see if you were alright, what with the attack and all, I was hoping that you had ah… managed to avoid getting involved in that nasty business. Scrapper 142 told me you were not fortunate enough to do so though. Couldn’t have pardoned myself if that pretty face was scarred in the attack...”

En’s hand extended tentative for a moment, coming close to resting on the side of his cheek before he lowered it,  hiding the motion in a bunch of twitches before he chuckled tensely; like he was trying and barely succeeding to look relaxed about it. It rang a warning in Loki’s mind that he couldn’t identify.

“My face did not suffer any altercations as you might see,” he replied. Instead of voicing his thoughts, his brow scrunching as he evaluated, once again, the man before him.

Loki prided himself in the many talents he had come to polish, one of them, his accurate judgment when it came to everyone but himself. It served greatly for someone who had to deal with the intricacies of the court in a daily basis. Those talents however, had failed him over and over again when it came to the man in front him. It wasn’t that he  had judged him wrong, but more like he failed, utterly and profusely, to see past the facade the Grandmaster intended him to see.

It made him nervous, and worse, it made him interested.

“Oh dear, it’s freezing out here,” the Grandmaster shivered, interrupting his thoughts. “You mind if we go in? I wouldn’t like to freeze my tongue before we catch up,” he said with a wink.

Loki’s words died on his lips.

He resisted the urge to look back into his room, where Thor rested, in his bed. Loki’s tongue reaching to wet lips that were suddenly dry. The Grandmaster continued staring at him with those twinkling eyes, a grin so bright his mind panicked for a second, thinking that he knew exactly what he hid.

Except Loki had done nothing wrong, right? They’d done nothing more intimate than sleep in the same bed, but could the Grandmaster see beyond that? Would he take one look at Loki’s repressed guilt and Thor’s poorly hidden infatuation, and know what secrets he had tried so hard to keep?

Stupid to worry, he told himself, but that knowledge did nothing to dissipate the thoughts.

“Would it be safe?” he asked, once he was able to re-grasp his wit. “Out here, we have remained in the shadows, but who knows what kind of barriers Odin might have.”

En chuckled, to his dismay

“You see,” he grinned again. “I wouldn’t worry about your daddy, sweetcheeks. You do your little trick to keep us out of the watcher’s eyes, and I’ll see that he gives you no trouble at all. What do you say? Mind if I join you for a little while?”

Loki evaluated his next words carefully, depending on his  answer, he would either fall out of the man’s graces or buy himself more time for his play.The answer came to him in an almost hysterical realization.

“I’m afraid Thor might not appreciate your company like I do.”

The Grandmaster’s grin faltered.

“Sa-say that again?” he asked, a little stunned.

“He’s inside.” Loki repeated, making a show out of shrugging it off, his attitude at some point between nuisance and fond irritation.

“Do you uh...make a habit of sleeping in the same room as your brother?” the Grandmaster asked.

“Do you mind?” A coy smile dancing on Loki’s lips

“Well, I’ve got a couple of ideas that could thrive on that concept.” An awkward smile and fluttering lashes the cue Loki needed to relax inwardly.

“Perhaps some other time.” he teased.

“Yeah, I would like that.” En trailed off, the words floating between them, promising in a playful yet not entirely bantering way that made Loki’s nerves flutter.

The Grandmaster’s teasing continued to be a subject of amusement for Loki. He was aware the man was interested in him, and even though he didn’t share Thor’s rough masculinity, he knew he was attractive in ways his brother could never be. Charming, En had called it. He wasn’t a stranger to outside attraction, and he wasn’t overusing it for his own gain.  Yet the unacknowledged game he had engaged in with the Grandmaster proved to be more amusing than the silly games the soldiers or noblemen had ever indulged in him with.

It was new, and increasingly tempting; bordering on arousing.

If Loki wanted to keep his head clear to his purpose, he couldn’t grow fond of him, no matter how clever or enchanting he was.

“I uh…suppose that was my cue to leave, wasn’t it?”  Uncertainty taking over En, making his hands twitch, and his eyes expectant .

“Rest assured, I’m sure we’ll find each other soon enough.” Loki replied vaguely, hopefully vague enough so he could plan his next move.

“Sooner rather than later I hope.” En smiled, “Say hi to your darling brother for me.” An edge of coolness crept into his voice as his form started to teleport elsewhere. “I would hate for him to hurt your fragile frame…”

Then he was gone,  his last words of departure leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

He contemplated, if only for a short instant, the possibility of staying out there on the balcony. The Grandmaster’s visit had left him needing the privacy he had forsaken in favour of indulging his brother; but almost as if the admission of his company had done what Loki’s chatter had not, he heard the distinctive rustling and groaning of his brother waking up, and he hastened back to his room once again.

“What were you doing out there?” Thor asked him, eyes lidded and voice distant with slumber.

“Nothing,” Loki replied, “go back to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Loki!”  
   
Green eyes turned to look at him questioningly, gifting him a second of attention before they turned away once more, Loki’s steps increasing in speed as he walked down the corridors with newfound speed.

“I can’t do this now, Thor.”

His joyous expression turned into a frown. Thor didn’t presume to know the in’s and out’s of his brother’s mind; no one ever truly could, but he would be lying if he said the slight irritation in his voice didn’t throw him off.

Thor was not a particularly schooled person when it came to emotions, but he had guessed sharing a bed for a night was bound to smooth out their tussle from yesterday.

Following that logic, he ignored Loki’s words to pursue him through the corridors.

“Wait! What do you mean by that?” he asked, jogging to join his brother’s side. “I was hoping we could spend some time together…”

Loki turned to look at him, back down the hallway, and back to Thor again.

“We can do that later…”

Reassuringly, Loki looked troubled for not being able to indulge him, so it wasn’t their last fight which keept him from joining him. Thor  took his arm, careful not to do so harshly and push him away.

“Hey, brother. Please, tell me what’s wrong, what’s so urgent that you can’t stop for a second.”

Loki bites his lip, the motion distracting him for only a second before he caught himself. Not the right time for that. he chided himself.

“You have to promise me not to make a fuss out of this.” Loki hissed between teeth, looking around them like he didn’t want anyone to walk in on them.

Thor frowned, but yet he nodded, knowing that this was to be the only way for Loki to be able to tell him what he was on about with the sudden secrecy.

“You have my word,  brother,” he confirmed.

Loki gave a sigh, if it was of relief or resignation, he did not know.

“There’s been another Jotun attack. Father has called for a meeting with his generals to decide what do about it.”

His words stirred the anger inside him, a remnant of yesterday that he had yet to shake off completely. He took a deep breath, burying that anger if only for the sake of his brother; he had already seen how this had ended yesterday and he had no desire to repeat it once again today.

“Why haven’t we been called there then?” he asked.

He and Loki were never formally part of the army, and wouldn’t be until after Thor’s coronation,  but that did not excuse them, as princes of Asgard, from the front lines of battle. It would be dishonorable, and would result in them losing respect to even attempt otherwise.

“Why do you think so?” Loki asked, all sharp edges and spite, “We’re not even supposed to know of its existence.”

At this, Thor frowned once more, the sentence not making sense in his mind.

“Why would father…?”

“Do you want to know what they say in the meeting or not?

“Of course I do!”

“Then lower your voice and follow me already, we’re running late and father is not one to adapt his meetings to other people’s standards.”

He took his hand, eyes shifting from side to side again before  rushing towards a corridor he had not noticed before. Compared to Loki’s soft, almost mute steps, Thor’s own ones were a loud scratching against the marble.

“What is this corridor Loki?” he asked as low as he was able to.

“The servants use them to travel unnoticed if they are carrying anything of importance, now hush, we’re almost there.”

Thor would have expected to know of something like this, and yet, turning to look at Loki, he figured that if there was something that could facilitate stealth, Loki would know about it.

Loki’s hand stopped him before he could keep walking, taking a finger to his lips and glancing briefly but over exaggeratedly towards the next turn of the corridor before he pointed to Thor then back to himself, mouthing the words hide and slow. Thor nodded in understanding.

The both of them approached the room with careful steps, voices slowly becoming clearer through the walls.

“...must proceed with a plan of attack.”

“The peace treaty has been there for centuries! We can’t just break it over a couple slights!”

“Slights?! They’ve already attempted attacks against the people of Asgard on two occasions! One of which also an attempt against the royal family!”

“Could be the work of a few bitter soldiers, Laufey has paid no word regarding a war or the action of this few.”

“Was the warning not enough? They accuse us of stealing something from them like they’re trying to justify a war. The casket of ancient winters was a war spoil, it was agreed upon by both our sides to be righteously taken, therefore they have no…”

“Stop!” his father’s voice raised above everyone elses. “I think you’ve said enough Tyr,”

“With all due respect Allfather I have spoken no lies. If there was really something of theirs that we had stolen during the war it would have been noticed long ago, not now, over a thousand years later.”

“Perhaps you’re right,” Odin replied, voice much less assured than Thor would have expected it to be. “But we have not come together today to decide on whether to start a war or not. We need to know where we stand.

“Asgard has always been the protector of the realms. However, if it comes to choose between loyalties, the balance should always fall with it’s people.”

“And it’s with its people that it resides. We can’t just jump into another war.”

“Our armies can stand another war against what little  the Jotuns have.”

“Exactly, and don’t you think Laufey knows that? He knows his odds just as well as any of us. No, if he instigated a war, he would do so knowing he stood a chance.”

Thor turned to glance at Loki, his brother’s face scrunched in thought as he no doubt tried to make sense of the conversation.

By now, even Thor was sure that his father did not want to involve them on this, be it by  fear instigated by the previous war, or any other reason he hid behind his ever impassive eye. . He had yet to know how he felt about that. All his instincts told him that the only way to retaliate was with war, and that his father would know that but that had yet to be proven true.

Did that mean his father did not think him able to handle war? Or could it maybe mean something even worse, that he may see past him, catching a glimpse of the truth he kept hidden, and so deemed him unworthy of trust and battle?

“Laufey has yet to speak out! We can’t jump to conclusions!” Another voice chimed.

“For the sake of our realms, we can only hope he never does.” His father terminated the arguments, a hint of wariness in his voice.

“If you’d allow me,” someone else spoke out, “I have a theory of my own in the works.”

“Then speak it out, Balder.”

“As you will, All-father. We know no realm on Yggdrasil would side with the Jotuns, and no one on Yggdrasil, but the watcher perhaps, can contact the realms outside of it’s branches. However, there is one realm that has invaded our territory and whose leader’s intentions have yet to be made clear.”

So, Thor was not the only one who had thought about that possibilty.

“Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting Balder? I warn you the consequences may not be to your liking.”

“The Grandmaster is not to be trusted, that much you have let us know Allfather.”

“I have also let you know he is not to be crossed,” Odin said curtly.

“You can’t expect us to believe he is here merely in search of enjoyment.”

“Then you can….”

Loki yanked on his hand, eyes darting to the side, indication for him to retreat back into the corridor. He turned to look towards the room in question, Loki shook his head dispelling the thought. Now interested in what his brother could be looking to say, Thor followed him back into the dark corridors, the voices fading behind them.

“They’re talking in circles.” Loki said to him once they were far enough away to not be heard themselves. “Logic tells them to pursue a war, but it is unwise to do so under the circumstances. You know what that means right?”

“Long conversations that lead to nowhere?” Thor tried.

“They’re trying to postpone it; see how long they last before it’s inevitable. It’s a useless meeting; I hope you’re seeing what I’m getting at here.”

“Loki, you have literally dragged me all the way down here, I think you’re gonna have to enlighten me.”

“He doesn’t trust us.”

“Who?”

“Who else you dumb oaf? Odin! This is state talk; useless. We could stand there and do nothing easily, but there’s something else being discussed there, something he doesn’t want us to hear. Something important.”

“Then why are we here instead of there, listening for this supposed state secret.”

“You still don’t get it, do you Thor?”

“Tale’s getting old Loki, just spit it out!”

“If it were so blatantly obvious, we would have recognized it from the start. If we want to know what he’s hiding, we have to think about what he’s told us and what he tells everyone else, pull the truth out and face him with it.”

“Loki wait,” Thor stopped him, staring into his eyes for a sign of something, anything that could help him make sense of his words. He looked pale, nervous, like something was nagging at him, something more than the matter with their father. “Don’t you feel like you might be, you know, clutching at straws here? Father did not invite us, and yes, I’m mad about that too, but haven’t you considered that you might be overreacting a little bit.”

“Overreacting” Loki laughed bitterly, “Me? Overreacting? Should I remind you of who was ready to jump into war just yesterday?”

“I don't wish to fight with you again brother.” Thor tried to avoid what he knew was the beginning of a  fight. “All I know is that if there’s one person in Asgard who knows the whole picture, it is father. He would know what to do better than any of us.”

Loki evaded Thor’s eyes, seeming to consider his words, even if they were unpleasant to him.

“Look, after what happened at the summer festival, it’s alright to be on edge.” Thor tried to console him, his heart not able to stand his brother being so unsure of himself. “I might have overdone my words against the people of Sakaar as well, it was unbecoming of me as a warrior to seek fight without proof. Hell, if I'm being honest, staying there with them would have saved you from being present for the fight at the palace…”

“What did you just say?” Loki interrupted him, head snapping in his direction. His eyes starting to fill with something akin to dread or sorrow.

“Being on the Sakaarian camp might have saved you? Because I mean that Loki, but that’s  not an excuse to keep running in their direction. Actually, if you value my opinion, I think it would be better if…”

“I have to go.” Loki cut him off, green eyes going from one side of the other, like he could barely contain his urge to run away enough to say goodbye “You know the way back Thor, I need to see to something urgent.”

And running away like he was being chased by death herself, he disappeared from his side, leaving Thor confused, intrigued, and still every inch not ready to understand all that had seemed to fall over him these last weeks.

 

* * *

 

 

He was a fool. Loki was the most stupid, blind, naive fool.

And he had been played this entire time.

The signs had been there. It was clear as light now that he stood in front it, but he had been too distracted by his own whims and foolish squabbles to notice.

He’d even called Thor the fool for even thinking about what he had now come to realize. Late. Almost too late. And to think the one in the wrong had been him all along.

His face burned as he approached the Sakaarian campsite, all those under the rule of the Grandmaster turning to look at him as he fumed past them. Did they know what that man was playing at? Did they secretly laugh at him and mock him? He, the prince of Asgard, who had been dancing on the Grandmaster’s hand?

It was humiliating.

He broke through the door of the Grandmaster’s ship, whatever could pass for nobility  moving out of his way as he strode in fury through the ship’s corridors, knowing not where the man hid, but being sure it would not take long before they found each other. After all, wasn’t he the Grandmaster’s favorite puppet?

When he felt that familiar tickle in the back of his mind he almost wanted to yank it away; rip the link to pieces. En had thought it funny to let that link linger there, and Loki had been pretentious enough to let it be. Now he knew better, and the only thing he was going to do with it before ripping it away all together, was use it to find its maker.

He followed the link’s pull until it was almost a buzz at back of his eyes. _There, look there_ , it seemed to tell him; an obnoxious siren call, until he found himself face to face with the man himself, lounging carelessly and smiling like a fox when he saw him.

Loki had never had the desire to destroy a smile more.

“Charming! I thought you would take a while before you came back to visit me! What a surprise! Come, come here, sit next to me! Don't have a party ready, but I'm sure I can find something for us to do!” he chuckled.

It made Loki’s blood boil.

“Don't lie to me anymore you two-faced fool! Now that I’ve seen through your plans, I have no desire to be in your company.”

Almost innocently, the Grandmaster seemed taken aback by his tone; actually surprised, before he put on that condescendingly sorry face.

“I'm afraid I don't know why you seem so upset sweetheart.” He shook his head. “Have I done something to displease you.”

“Oh please.” he spit bitterly. “don't even try to think I will fall for that act any longer. It was you who brought the frost giants into the palace, that’s why you dragged me along to show me off at that party, and why you were so strangely reluctant to let me go. You knew I would have felt their presence and alerted everyone if had I been there.”

“What? no!” He exclaimed, still playing the part of the generous benefactor. “Why would I -why would- it’s that brother of yours, isn’t it? Has he convinced your pretty little head that I’m out to get you? Of course I’m not! I’m just here to have fun! How could I have fun in a war-zone?”

Loki wanted to believe him, that was the worst part. Somewhere inside him, he still desired that man, who had so easily picked his company over everyone else’s on Asgard; who seemed to genuinely enjoy his company. But the cruel reality was that the Grandmaster was merely using him for his own gain, like everyone else before him. It figured.

“Fine, don’t want to admit it? I’ll make you admit it!.” He growled, summoning fire onto his hand and aiming it at the cushions where the man was lounging. Fire exploded all over them, breaking them into flaming pieces, yet one second too late to hit the Grandmaster who had managed to duck out of its way.

He summoned another one, preparing his aim before he felt a heavy thump on his back, another behind his knees, making him lose his step and buckle helplessly onto the floor. Quickly, he pulled out a dagger, ready to turn against the one who had dared to attack him.

He had no such luck to even try.

A new buzz made itself known behind his ears, it’s power sizzling with a horrible promise. Not a weapon he had encountered before, and not one he wanted to find out about using his body as the target.

“I’m gonna melt him.” He heard the deep voice of his aggressor tell the Grandmaster, his heart skipping fast at those words.

“What! No! Topaz, put that melt stick away. This is but a squabble; a little thing, he did try to kill me but that’s no reason to melt him!”

“Do you want to melt him then?”

“No! Just put that thing away, would you? Let him get up, and leave us alone.”

As the buzzing went away, he turned around just in time to see the mountain of a woman not quite complacently walking away; he had a chance to straighten himself and face the Grandmaster, just in time to see a new kind of smile on his face.

Was that amusement or mockery? Satisfaction or curiosity? Surprise or pleasure?

“Now what do I do with you huh?” The Grandmaster said,  “Didn’t expect you to attack me you know. I don't really mind, a little roughhousing is uh, always welcome. You want to talk, you have earned that talk.”

The words refused to get out of Loki’s mouth. The consequences of barging in full of fury like a one-man battalion had proved to be more than enough idiocy to shun him.  He wasn’t Thor. Maybe he should have brought Thor with him.

“Not feeling very vocal after that, are we? It's alright, I can do enough talking for the two of us.  This is about the Jotun,  right? You said I kept you here to look for the success of the operation. In that case, I have a question for you, little prince,” he walked closer, a little sway in his step like he was enjoying seeing the fear in Loki’s eyes. “What if I did?”

The question baffled him for a moment.

“What?”

“I asked, what if I did? Huh? Will you uh, kill me? Imprison me? Bring me before the justice of the All-father?” He chuckled “If he could get rid of me, don’t you think he would have done so already?”

“I would have found a way to end you.” Loki spat, trying to find a shadow of the fury from when he had entered the room.

The Grandmaster laughed.

“You could try! That would be fun you know. I would like that game.” He smiled at him, a hand reaching out to caress his cheek with a fondness that almost made him tremble. “Make no mistake, I have been enjoying your company. You’re the best thing I’ve found on this golden planet, it would be a shame if it all came to end in this petty squabble.”

There was something in the air, something oppressing, like he was sinking into water.

“I’m not your plaything” He ground out from between his teeth. “I won't let you use me as such.”

“But Loki,” he cooed, using his thumb to caress his cheek. “You’ve always been someone’s plaything.  You’ve been your father’s to keep controlled and use when necessary, and your mother’s to dote on.” He was drowning, gasping in the water with no air to get in his lungs.  “You’ve been your brother’s friends when his own couldn’t play with him and you’ve been his, to treasure like a collector would do his favorite thing.”

Was this fear? Was this man manipulating him? Using what was left of their link to pressure his mind with all those negative emotions he had been burying? Or worse, was this realization?

“It’s not like you don’t try to pry yourself away from them, no?” He laughed shaking his head. “You’ve betrayed them as much as they have betrayed you. All those lies and secret stunts and plans, like you are trying to prove your worth by drawing them away from the real you. Wouldn’t you rather stay with me and at the very least get to choose the game you’re playing at?”

With a burst of emotion Loki broke free of the thrall over him,  running to the door, but he knew the grandmaster had already seen his tears.

 

* * *

 

Next time Thor saw his brother, he was running again.

More accurately, he was running towards him, smashing into his side in a tangled mess of green and black, toppling them both to the ground.

A curse left his lips as he collided with the floor, glancing up to see what he had guessed would be a very indignant Loki. Instead, he found someone that resembled the scared little brother he used to have, more than the poised proud brother from now. Rushing to hide his emotions in a mask that was way too shattered to be believable, his eyes  rimmed with red, robes slightly crumpled with dirt and grass.

“Are you alright Loki?” He asked him, almost hesitant to know the answer or to find himself on the end of one of his stunts.

Loki, almost as if he feared something, opened his mouth only to close it again with a startled gasp, biting his lips with repressed emotion.

“I’m fine.” He said after a moment, voice wobbly and unsure. “I just fell into a hydra bush I’ll be fine, I just need to get to my rooms.”  He scrambled to get up, almost tripping over his own feet.

“Hey, take it easy.” Thor rushed to steady him. “Just so you know, this is like no hydra I’ve ever seen before.”

“It was a very nasty patch indeed.” Loki said under his breath, trying to pry himself away from his brother and towards the corridor. Thor refused to let him go.

“Brother, I don't know what kind of trouble you have fallen into now, but you can trust me. You know that right? We’ve talked about this before, if something troubles you; anything, even if I can’t fix it, you can come and tell me about it.”

Loki glared at him with a sorrow that almost shattered his heart.

“Alright then Thor,  am I a plaything to you?” He asked him, chuckling with something dark and self-deprecating.  It stunned him speechless for a moment.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, I know you might think me ridiculous, but it makes sense doesn’t it? All this time, have I only been something for you to hold onto? To amuse yourself with and to carry around until I stop being of use to you?”

“Loki I...I can’t make sense of your words. How have you come to this conclusion, what has warranted it?”

“Don’t try to confuse me!” Loki chided, pained eyes closed as if he couldn't bear to see him. “Please Thor, just this one time, allow yourself to answer my question.”

Thor did not know what to do. Is that how Loki thought of him? How he saw himself through his eyes? It almost horrified him to think so. His hands found their place around Loki’s neck,  that place where he always seemed to hold on to the side to his cheek. When Loki flinched he could only wonder what had brought this upon them.

“I assure you Loki, that there’s nothing less true than what you have speculated. You’re not my toy, and you’re not a plaything. You’re Loki, and you could never be someone’s plaything.”

“You say that with such conviction and yet you always pull me away in the face of others, like you’re embarrassed by me.”  He lamented.

Thor flinched in pain at his words. As much as he would have wanted to deny them he knew himself enough. He knew how much he tended to push, to look away from Loki in the presence of others, to try and keep to himself, the lie that he did not love him in that way.

But not anymore. He had promised himself that. Not anymore.

“I could never be embarrassed of you Loki. Never.”

Not the place, his mind seemed to supply, not the moment. And yet, hadn't Loki once said that his actions were better than his words? Hadn’t Loki said that nothing Thor could  say would scare him? Hadn’t Thor promised himself to let him be more selfish?

He was going to be selfish.

“How can you say that to my face.” Loki shook his head, tears on the brink of spilling.

“I…”

And it was then he decided to kill all reason in his mind, hand tensing and then relaxing as he subconsciously started leaning closer; still not catching himself when he realized what he was about to do, and paying no attention to his conscience.  Every inch less that separated them bringing about a new sense of adrenaline, of impulsiveness, getting drunk on what he was about to do until his lips were painfully close to Loki’s, his breath hitching at how close he was, how he could almost count Loki’s eyelashes under his half lidded eyes, breathing onto his lips as he-

“What are you doing?” Loki’s voice rang out, in front his lips. A hand pushing weakly,  at his chest. “Thor,” Loki repeated, his voice slowly making way into his suddenly waking mind. “What are you doing?”

Fear. Surprise.

Thor realized at that moment, that he had been millimeters away from kissing his brother. Loki was looking at him like he did not know him at all.

“I’m sorry.” He gasped, drawing himself away from Loki like the touch was burning him. “I did not mean to-! I didn’t-!”

Loki’s eyes were too much, to bear, and this time, it was Thor who ran away from the scene.

What had he done? What had he _almost_ done?

He ran as fast as his feet could take him, shying away from the servant's surprised faces. He had been foolish, so foolish! What if someone had been around to see them? What if someone told their father? If someone ran around with the tale of the mighty Thor trying to force himself upon his little brother, father would have his head for it.

Loki would never pardon him; he just knew that Loki would think him disgusting and try to take revenge. He had ruined everything. He needed to hide, hide somewhere, and for once in his life think about what he had done.

The corridors. The ones Loki had shown him. He could hide in there. He tried looking for the dents, the little entries on the walls, too dark to go noticed except when you were looking for them, and he willingly lost himself inside the first one  he found.

Only once he saw himself swallowed by enough darkness did he finally stop running. The reality of his actions dawning on him with dread, and the only thing he could do was walk like a pig for slaughter. He supposed from now on, that would be the way his brother saw him as well.

He lost himself there, hours or minutes, he didn't know, whatever trouble he was in now, he deserved it, lost to his own suffering.

Lost, until he heard the voices. low, and strangely familiar; getting nearer as he approached, until he found a slight ventilation door and he recognized who he was listening to.

Odin and Frigga discussing in their rooms.

“I know it Odin, don’t try to deter me otherwise when I know what is happening. They know, just like I as a mother know.”

“They know nothing.” His father cut. “They are not able, and won’t ever know. To that frozen wasteland, he is dead, and he will stay so.”

He? Did they mean the Grandmaster?

“No, Odin. I love him like my own but he is not ours, he was never ours. You can hide your tracks as much as you want, but whether we like it or not, Loki’s true parentage may finally be catching up with us.”

“Not if I can do something about it.”

Like magic whispering in his ears, it finally put itself into words. They were talking about Loki. He had walked on with his parents talking about Loki.

About Loki’s true parentage.Loki wasn’t his brother. Loki _wasn't_ his brother.

Thor felt like throwing up.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D  
> Have I, as the kids say, finished with an evil dramatic cliffhanger?  
> You can scream at me either in the comments or in my Tumblr by the same handle, I love hearing what you guys have to say.

**Author's Note:**

> There you have it. I would love to know what are your opinions! and if you ship thorki or frostmaster, or both please say hi in the comment box! My tumblr is InkHallucination, so hit me up there if you would like to talk!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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